Remnants of Magic
by Beacon Alum
Summary: Turns out, being the Master of Death has its perks. When Harry Potter is killed in a trap, Death offers him a way to keep living: travel to Remnant and become a Hunter. Harry x Blake x Yang, Ruby x Weiss
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all! **

**So a friend of mine introduced me to the RWBY series not too long ago…y'all can figure out the rest.**

**I decided to do a crossover with the Harry Potter series, since I couldn't find that many on any website. This story will follow a slightly altered version of RWBY canon (for obvious reasons). **

**Post-Deathly Hallows, everything up to the epilogue is canon. **

**Pairings: Harry x Blake x Yang, Ruby x Weiss**

**Other tags: Huntsman!Harry, Tsundere!Weiss**

**Warnings: Lemon in later chapters. Gore, violence, mentions of abuse. I will post additional warnings in the chapters where these are apparent.**

**Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I most likely don't own it.**

**Enjoy!**

**Remnants of Magic**

**Chapter One**

**[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Headmaster's Office]**

Harry James Potter sighed wearily as he fell into his office chair. A wave of his hand brought a crystal decanter and glass floating over to his desk. After a mind-numbingly long day at the Ministry for Magic, he needed a drink.

_Idiots, the lot of them,_ he thought bitterly. Even after two hundred years, the Ministry was just as corrupt and useless as he remembered it. Hermione had tried everything she could as Minister, but after her passing thirty years ago, the magical government had swiftly returned to its roots.

Of course, the only reason he was even called today, besides being the Headmaster of Hogwarts, was because he was still magical Britain's poster boy. His whole visit consisted of maybe ten minutes of conversation with the current Minister about how alarmingly inadequate his leadership was, and the next hour and a half trying to evade the vultures who just wanted to earn his favor.

He poured a generous helping of Ogden's Finest; he was slightly disappointed that his magic, paired with the Hallows, wouldn't let him get drunk, but he would give it his best shot.

He was just taking a sip when his fireplace flared green, indicating an incoming Floo call. Harry glanced sadly at his glass and sighed. He set the glass down and crossed to the fireplace, taking a pinch of Floo powder from its place on the mantle and tossing it into the flames. "Potter," he said.

The fire seemed to twist in on itself before a face emerged in the flames: Emilie Bones, great-granddaughter of Susan Bones, and the current head of the Auror Corps.

"Yo, boss," she said happily.

Harry sighed. "For the millionth time, I'm not your boss anymore," he replied. Her bubbly, outgoing (and if he was being honest, obnoxious) personality was the last thing he wanted right now. "What is it?"

Emilie's face fell into a pensive frown. "You remember the Browning case?"

Harry thought back. "Vaguely. Guy was kidnapping Muggleborns and planning on selling them to the highest bidder, right?" That had been a fun takedown. It was hilarious how Wizarding homes were warded against magical entry, but didn't have protection against someone kicking the door in.

"That's the one," replied Emilie. "My team and I were searching the property, and we found…well, you'd better see for yourself."

Harry hung his head and groaned. So much for his evening off. "Alright, let me get ready." With that, he ended the call and made his way to his private quarters.

His twelve-compartment trunk was kicked open, and with a wave of his hand his gear came flying out: magic-suppressing handcuffs, armor made from interwoven dragon and basilisk skin (the monster in the Chamber of Secrets was a veritable treasure trove), and a wand holster flew around before settling in their proper places on his person.

After a moment's thought, he waved his hand again and out flew a Glock semiautomatic handgun. Shield charms were versatile, but a bullet would shatter them like glass. He loaded the firearm and slipped it into a holster, which went on his belt. Extra magazines went in his pocket.

Finally, he opened the last compartment. Inside lay a single wand, a ring with a cracked stone set in it, and a folded, silvery cloth; the Deathly Hallows.

He carefully picked them up, holding them reverently. After a moment, he slipped the ring on his finger. The Elder Wand went in the holster on his wrist, and he swept the cloak around himself, wearing it as a silver cape/hood combo.

Satisfied with his appearance, he turned on the spot and Disapparated.

He reappeared outside of a three-story, Victorian-style mansion. Emilie was leaning against the front gate, and she straightened when he approached.

"Glad you could make it, boss," she said, falling into step beside Harry.

"What are we dealing with?" he asked.

Emilie frowned. "That's the thing, none of us can make heads or tails of it. It looks like some sort of ritual chamber, but we don't know what for."

"Did you contact the Department of Mysteries?"

Emilie scoffed. "After the snafu last time? We thought it would be better to call you first."

Harry conceded the point. "Alright then, let's see what you've got."

The ritual chamber was situated in the basement. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all smooth stone, lined by torches. In the center of the room was a large runic array, drawn with a silvery substance Harry immediately identified as unicorn blood. Aurors were moving through the room, taking notes and photographs of every piece of evidence they could find.

Emilie and Harry stopped at the edge of the array. "What do you think, boss?" asked Emilie.

Harry knelt and studied the array closely. "It's not like anything I've ever seen," he admitted. "But the fact that he used unicorn blood doesn't mean anything good." Only the Darkest and most depraved rituals called for unicorn blood.

"Oi, I think I've got something here!" cried one of the Aurors. He had his arm up to the elbow in a small jar–clear evidence of an Undetectable Expansion Charm. When he couldn't grasp whatever was inside, he pulled his arm out and upturned the jar. A long, spiraling horn fell to the ground and rolled away. Harry's eyes widened in fear.

"Erumpent horn!" he shouted, diving away from the extremely volatile artifact. The other Aurors quickly followed suit, and Harry wandlessly brought up a Shield Charm.

The Erumpent horn exploded violently, tearing the far wall to pieces. Rocks, torches, and dirt flew everywhere, impacting the Shield Charm with tremendous force. As the last few pieces fell to the ground, Harry cancelled the charm. "Is everyone alright?" he called, his own voice muffled to his ringing ears.

A glow drew his attention downwards. In his haste to avoid the explosion, he had landed right in the center of the array, which was now glowing a bright silver.

Harry's eyes widened. "Oh, shi–!"

His world was consumed in light, and he knew no more.

**[Break]**

Harry awoke with a groan. He opened his eyes, expecting to find himself in the basement ritual room. Instead, he found he was back at the ethereal King's Cross station, where he'd met the spirit of Albus Dumbledore and made the decision to go back and defeat Voldemort.

"**Hello, Harry Potter."**

The voice startled Harry; he leapt to his feet, wand in one hand and pistol in the other, and aimed both at the buxom redhead that had spoken. Her black dress hugged her curves almost obscenely, drawing extra attention to her shapely hips and impressive bust.

"Who the bloody hell are you?" he demanded.

The woman seemed amused. **"Really, Master? You don't know who I am?"** She giggled softly. **"Think for a moment. You're holding one of my artifacts."**

Harry stared at the woman before something clicked in his brain. "Death?"

The woman grinned. **"Indeed."**

Harry slowly replaced his weapons. "No offence, but why exactly am I here?" he asked.

Death looked confused. **"Well it's obvious, isn't it? You died," **she said matter-of-factly.

Harry gaped. "Beg pardon?" he croaked out.

"**That array you activated was a special runic symbol that invoked my power,"** Death explained. **"Call it an area-of-effect Avada Kedavra."**

Harry stood in silence. He was dead. D-E-A-D, dead. No replays, no extra life, no Horcrux to give him a choice in the matter.

"So does that mean…my team...?"

"**Your friends managed to make it out of the array before it activated. They're fine."**

Harry sighed. "That's something, I suppose…" he muttered.

Death observed her champion with interest. She had, of course, seen his entire life through his memories –being a primordial deity had its perks–and she could say without question that Harry James Potter was the most unusual of all those who had met her. Usually, people would be panicking, begging to go back, raging at the unfairness of it all, or attempting to bargain with her.

"So, I guess this is it then?" asked Harry, oblivious to Death's internal musings.

Hmm…maybe.

"…**Not necessarily."**

Harry's head shot up. "Huh?"

Death smiled at her champion. **"While it is true that you have passed on from the Wizarding world, I believe your accomplishments are worthy of merit. You reunited my Hallows." **As she spoke, the Hallows vanished from their places on Harry's person and reappeared over Death's outstretched hand.

"**And you have defeated the one who thought he could evade me with his pitiful attempt at immortality," **Death finished. **"In light of your deeds, Master, I will offer you a choice."**

"A choice?" Harry parroted. He was very confused. First, Death herself tells him he's kicked the proverbial bucket, and now this?

"**Indeed. I cannot send you back to the Wizarding world, as that would be a violation of the very laws of nature–even I can't change those,**" Death explained. **"However…I could send you to live your life in peace in another dimension."**

Harry was having trouble wrapping his head around what Death was saying. He had a chance to live again, but in another dimension? "What would I have to do?" he asked.

Death held out her hand. Black particles swirled above it before solidifying into what looked like a flatscreen TV. The image of a planet similar to Earth appeared, but there were a few differences. For one, the continents were arranged differently, but the most obvious feature was the shattered moon.

"**This is Remnant. This is where you will be going if you so choose,"** said Death. **"But be warned: the planet is infested with monsters known as Creatures of Grimm. They are soulless beasts that have intense hatred for everything except themselves."**

The image shifted to show a black-haired man wielding a large sword battling one of the aforementioned beasts. Suddenly, the sword's handle extended and the blade split into segments before rotating, turning into a scythe, which the man used to bisect the creature vertically.

"**Huntsmen and Huntresses are people who hunt down and eliminate these creatures,**" Death continued. **"It is their job to protect the innocent…something I believe you are familiar with."**

Oh yes, his "saving-people thing", as Hermione aptly put it.

"**If you choose this path, you will be given the opportunity to become a Huntsman. I will grant you the skills and weapons you need to succeed, but that will be the last of our interactions until you die for good."** Death smiled. **"So, Master, what will you choose? Will you move on? Or will you take this opportunity?"**

Harry thought about it for all of ten seconds. "I'll do it."

Death smiled and nodded. **"Very well. Hold still."**

And with that, she poked him in the forehead, right on his scar. Harry couldn't even open his mouth before he collapsed.

**[Break]**

Qrow Branwen sighed happily as he fished a hip flask from his pocket.

Yes, it was only ten-thirty in the morning, but hey, it's five o'clock somewhere.

He relished the burn of the whiskey as he took a long gulp. Some may say he was an alcoholic, but he disagreed; he was an alcohol _enthusiast._ There is a difference, at least to him.

He let out a satisfied belch as he replaced the flask–nothing like a little help from Jim, Jack, and Jameson to take the edge off a long day. He was looking forward to his afternoon siesta. Not even noon and already dealing with five Ursai Major and a Nevermore? He didn't sign up for that.

…Well, maybe he did, but he didn't have to like it.

His dreams of a peaceful day were suddenly shattered when an explosion knocked him off his feet. He hit the ground hard on his back, driving the air from his lungs with a startled gasp.

For a moment, he lay where he landed, dry heaving, trying to get air back into his empty lungs. After proper breathing was established, he slowly clambered to his feet, brandishing Harbinger in its sword form, ready to meet any attack.

When nothing came at him, he took a look around curiously. There, roughly ten feet from where he'd been standing, was an unconscious teenage boy.

'What the actual…' Qrow thought, slowly making his way over to the teen. A gentle nudge with his boot confirmed it: the kid was out cold.

The kid was dressed in a gray button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled back, black jeans, and black combat boots. A silver hooded cloak was fastened around his neck. Beside him lay a black, rectangular object, undoubtedly his weapon. Oddly enough, it looked similar to his niece's _Crescent Rose_.

He stared for a few more moments. Finally, he reached down and hoisted the kid onto his shoulder.

He had a long trip ahead of him.

**[Break]**

Taiyang Xiao Long sighed through his nose, massaging his temples as he tried to stave off the migraine. "Let me get this straight," he said, trying and failing to keep the annoyance out of his voice. "You were just hanging out on a mission, minding your own business, and then there was and explosion."

"Yup," said Qrow, who was relaxing in an armchair while Taiyang paced the living room.

"And at the center of said explosion, you found him." Taiyang pointed at the black-haired boy, who was currently sleeping on the couch.

"Mm-hmm."

"And you decided, 'Oh, Taiyang can help!', and hauled him all the way here without so much as a by-your-leave?"

"Sounds about right," said Qrow, putting his boots on the coffee table without a care in the world.

Taiyang felt like grabbing the other man's flask and beating him to death with it, but that probably wouldn't set a good example for the kids. "So, ignoring the blatant disregard for your mission–for now, rest assured Ozpin _will_ be hearing about it–what possessed you to bring him here, as opposed to, say, Beacon? You know, where they have _actual medical facilities_?!"

Qrow grimaced and put a finger in his ear. "Yeesh, could you be any louder? I don't think they heard you in Atlas," he complained.

"I'm about to kick your ass to Atlas _and back_ if you don't start explaining…_now_!" snapped Taiyang. There was only so much of Qrow he could take, and that pot was dangerously close to overflowing.

"Settle down, will ya? You were the first person I thought of. Sue me," Qrow griped, his own patience starting to wear thin. "Besides, don't you think it's time that Ruby made some friends other than her sister?"

"Okay, first of all, leave my children out of this. Second of all, that still doesn't explain why you dragged this kid all the way here!"

"I don't know!" shouted Qrow, leaping up from the armchair. "I have absolutely no idea why! Okay?! It's just a feeling I had, so get off my case!"

Taiyang leaned back in shock; it usually took quite a bit to get Qrow so worked up, even if he had been drinking like a fish since he woke up.

Qrow collapsed back in the chair and pulled out his flask, holding it out to Taiyang in offering. After a moment's hesitation, Taiyang took it and took a swig, grimacing at the burning sensation. "So what now?" he asked as he handed the flask back.

"Fuck if I know," mumbled Qrow, peering into the flask, then downing the entire thing in two gulps. The empty flask fell to the floor.

Taiyang grabbed a nearby chair and pulled it so he was sitting across from Qrow. "You said you had a feeling. What kind of feeling? Good? Bad?" he asked. With the exception of antagonizing Atlas at every opportunity, Qrow rarely did things without good reason.

"I dunno," slurred the drunk Huntsman. "I just looked at him, and I got this feelin' he might be important somehow."

Well, that wasn't helpful at all. Taiyang sighed and stood. "Get some rest, Qrow," he said. "I'll let you know when he wakes up."

All he got in return was a lazy wave before Qrow passed out.

Taiyang just shook his head and left the room, heading outside. The flower beds outside needed some work.

**And that's a wrap for this chapter! Let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**[Signal Academy]**

Ruby Rose yawned widely; Professor Berenstain's Anatomy of Grimm lecture was boring her to tears. Not that she had anything against learning, but there had to be a way to make it _fun_. Or at least, not as boring.

She let her head fall onto her desk with a soft _thunk_ and let out a groan. Her only consolation was the fact that summer vacation started in less than two months. Unfortunately, the dastardly fiend known as final exams stood between her and blessed freedom.

"Ah, Miss Rose. Did you have a comment on the lecture?"

Ruby's head shot up in panic; apparently that groan wasn't as quiet as she thought it was. "Oh! No, sir," she squeaked, an embarrassed blush staining her cheeks. The entire class snickered at her.

The bear Faunus that taught the class fixed her with a stern stare. "Hmm…very well. But please try to pay attention, you never know when these lessons may save your life," he admonished. Ruby nodded and, once the teacher had resumed his lecture, let out a sigh of relief. She got lucky that time.

She looked up at the clock; only fifteen minutes until class ended. Fifteen minutes before she could go home and work on her baby, a hybrid scythe/sniper rifle she made a year ago during Weapons class, for the whole weekend. It was named Crescent Rose, and in her opinion it was the greatest weapon in the world. Although, admittedly, there were still a few bugs to work out; the recoil mitigation for the Gravity Dust rounds wasn't quite working properly. The first time she fired one, she ended up on her ass in the dirt.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the final bell rang. Ruby grabbed her bag and followed the sea of students to the front doors of Signal Academy. Now she just had to wait for her sister. Finding an empty spot next to the wall, she sat down and pulled her sketchbook out of her bag.

Her sketchbook was filled with weapon designs and upgrades she had come up with. It was where she came up with the idea for Crescent Rose. She got out her pencil and flipped to the most recent page, which had a blueprint for an upgrade for her Uncle Qrow's weapon, Harbinger.

Of course, that wasn't to say Harbinger wasn't cool already. Qrow had, like many other former Signal students, forged his weapon himself. In its current configuration, it took the form of a collapsible greatsword, but could easily switch between modes to utilize the semiautomatic, short-barreled shotguns on either side of the blade, or to change forms completely into a wicked-looking scythe.

With her tongue between her teeth, Ruby started designing even more upgrades for the formidable weapon. Perhaps a hollowed-out section for storing Dust? That might work. And maybe another shotgun in the shaft. Ideas firmly in mind, she put pencil to paper and began to sketch.

She was so absorbed in her work that she didn't even realize her sister was approaching until a hand landed on her shoulder. Not expecting the sudden contact, Ruby let out a squeak of fright and flinched, accidentally making a large mark across her sketch.

"Yang! I told you to stop doing that!" she cried, frantically trying to erase the unintentional mark without messing up her sketch.

Yang just shrugged unapologetically. "I called your name three times, Rubes. You gotta be more aware of your surroundings."

Yang was two years Ruby's senior, and definitely more…developed in certain areas. Her standard attire of a tight-fitting orange shirt, brown jacket, brown short shorts, and knee-high brown boots served only to accent her assets. Unlike Ruby, who had inherited her birthmother's black hair with red tips, Yang had their father's blonde hair, but her eyes were a curious shade of lilac.

Ruby huffed and put her sketchbook away. "Meanie," she muttered petulantly. "Let's just go, I wanna get some work done on Crescent Rose before dinner."

Yang just rolled her eyes at her sister's weapon obsession. "Alright, alright, c'mon."

The two sisters headed out to the student parking lot, chatting amicably about how their respective days went. Ruby decided against mentioning her embarrassment in history class, knowing that Yang would just find it as more ammunition for her teasing.

"Hey, I just realized," said Yang suddenly. "I didn't see Dad or Uncle Qrow at all today. What's the deal?"

Ruby tilted her head in thought. "Uncle Qrow's on a mission, I know that much, but I haven't seen Dad either. I wonder why?"

Yang shrugged. "We can ask him when we get home," she said as they approached Bumblebee, Yang's custom-built motorcycle. "Hop on and let's get going."

Ruby nodded and, making sure her bag was secure, climbed on the bike behind her sister. With the roar of the engine, Yang peeled out of the parking lot, hopping the curb with ease and taking off towards their home.

**[Break] **

Harry felt like someone was slowly driving a railroad spike into his brain. The pain was so intense, he couldn't even cry out; all he could do was press his hands to his temples, sucking in deep breaths through his gritted teeth, and try to ride it out.

Finally, after what felt like hours, he managed to open his eyes.

He was laying on a couch in an unfamiliar living room, a black blanket decorated with red rose petals was draped over him, and there was a Corgi on his chest.

He blinked. The Corgi blinked back, then gave his nose a lick. Harry smiled and scratched the dog behind the ears, earning another lick which made him chuckle a bit.

A blond man walked in as Harry was sitting up, keeping the Corgi on his lap. "Oh, you're awake!" he said in surprise. "How're you feeling?"

Harry gently shooed the Corgi off his lap as he swung his legs off the sofa. "Like my head's been split open, but otherwise alright," he replied. He tried to stand, but quickly found himself off balance. He would've fallen flat on his face if the blond man hadn't caught him.

"Whoa, easy there," the man said. "Here, I'll help you to the kitchen and whip something up for us."

The two slowly made their way to the kitchen, Harry leaning heavily on the blond man, who introduced himself as Taiyang Xiao-Long. The Corgi, who Taiyang said was named Zwei, trotted along behind them.

Upon reaching the kitchen, Taiyang gently eased Harry into a chair by a plain wooden table, and went over to the nearby refrigerator. "How does soup sound?" he asked, getting out some ingredients.

"Soup sounds amazing," replied Harry as he stroked Zwei's head; the Corgi had jumped into his lap as soon as Harry had sat down, eager for more pets. Taiyang nodded and set about chopping ingredients, which were tossed into a pot.

"So, kid, what's your name?" asked Taiyang, sitting down opposite Harry once all the ingredients had been added to the pot.

Harry felt slightly embarrassed, as Taiyang had introduced himself, but he hadn't responded in kind. "Harry Potter."

"Nice to meet you. Now, I have a couple of questions for you, if you don't mind," said Taiyang. "First of all, where do you come from?"

Harry thought for a moment. Should he tell the truth? It seemed like the best option, since he didn't know anything about this world.

"Well, Mr. Xiao Long…" He was almost immediately stopped by Taiyang's raised hand.

"Taiyang, please. Mr. Xiao Long makes me feel old."

"You _are_ old," said a voice from the living room.

Taiyang rolled his eyes. "Still younger than you, Qrow."

A tall man with graying black hair and a stubbly beard stumbled into the kitchen, nearly colliding with the refrigerator, before collapsing into an unoccupied chair. He nodded briefly to Harry before his head hit the table.

"Harry Potter, Qrow Branwen," said Taiyang. "Our resident squatter, and my daughters' Drunkle."

"Fuck off, Tai."

"Er…Drunkle?" asked Harry.

"Drunk uncle," explained the blond. "Qrow here hasn't been sober in years."

"…I see." Harry subtly scooted his chair away from the black-haired man, who raised his head and glared at Taiyang.

"_Anyway_," Taiyang continued, ignoring the middle finger that Qrow was now sending him, "you were saying?"

Harry took a deep breath. "Are either of you familiar with dimensional travel?"

Whatever both men were expecting, it wasn't that. After about a minute of silence, Qrow stood and walked out of the kitchen.

"Where're you going?" asked Taiyang.

"I'm calling Ozpin, then getting a drink," was the shouted reply. "I ain't drunk enough for this."

**[Break]**

Yang whipped her motorcycle into the driveway with a screeching of tires. Ruby, used to Yang's wild driving, hopped off the bike with practiced ease and nearly skipped to the door. Yang followed behind her at a more sedate pace.

Almost immediately after walking in, her nose picked up a wonderful aroma: chicken noodle soup, homemade, her dad's special recipe. She smiled widely as her stomach growled. A nice meal was just what she needed.

She was distracted when a familiar voice rang out from the kitchen.

"I'm calling Ozpin, then getting a drink. I ain't drunk enough for this."

Ruby's face lit up like Christmas had come early and brought her birthday along for the ride. "UNCLE QROW!" she shrieked in joy, using her Semblance to dart across the living room and tackle-hug her uncle as he came out of the kitchen, sending them both tumbling. "It's so good to see you! How was your mission? Did you kill a bunch of Grimm? Did you get me a present?" She gasped. "Did you bring COOKIES?!"

Qrow couldn't help but smile at his hyperactive niece as he put a hand over her mouth, silencing the rapid-fire questioning. "Easy there, little Miss Motor Mouth," he joked. "Can you get off me? I need to be able to feel my legs."

Yang rolled her eyes and grabbed her sister by the scruff and easily lifted her off their uncle, who stood and made a show of popping the bones in his back. "You're gettin' too big to do that, Shrimp," he teased, smirking at the threatening glare (read: adorable pout) his dark-haired niece was sending him.

"Er…are you alright?"

The trio turned to see Harry sticking his head out of the kitchen, staring at the three in confusion. Behind him, Taiyang was biting his fist, trying not to burst out laughing at Ruby's…enthusiastic greeting.

Qrow grinned. "Never better. Harry, meet my nieces: Yang Xiao Long and Ruby Rose. Yang and Ruby, meet Harry Potter." He leaned down to whisper into the girls' ears. "He's an alien."

Harry's curious look morphed into a halfhearted glare. Yang simply raised an eyebrow at her uncle's admittedly outrageous claim. Ruby, on the other hand…

Merlin's beard, when did she get so close?!

Ruby stared intently at Harry, their noses only centimeters apart. "Are you really an alien?" she asked.

"Er…no?"

Yang smirked. "Was that a question or a statement?" she teased. Now that she was paying attention, she could clearly see that this Harry Potter guy was handsome.

Like, _really _handsome.

His green eyes would shine when the light hit them right, and the way he carried himself spoke of confidence without arrogance, a rarity among the male persuasion. His jet-black hair was brushed back, but it wasn't slick with gel like she'd seen on some of the rich boys.

To put it simply, Yang _like_.

Ruby, meanwhile, was completely oblivious to her sister's thoughts as she continued her inspection of the mysterious teen. "Hmm…you don't _look_ like an alien…" she said, using her Semblance to flit around a thoroughly harassed-looking Harry.

"Alright, that's enough," said Taiyang, finally making his voice heard. "You girls go clean up for dinner. Qrow, are you…Oh, what am I saying, of course you're staying, you freeloader. You might as well make your call now. Now that Ruby knows you're here, she won't let you out of her sight."

Qrow just flipped Taiyang the bird as he went outside to make his call as Taiyang began ladling out the soup.

**[Break]**

"_Hey, it's me. I found something you might want to check into."_

Ozpin ran a hand through his silver hair and reached for his hot chocolate. He could tell this was going to be a headache. "This had better be good, Qrow."

"_What do you know about dimensional travel?"_

Ozpin paused, his mug halfway to his lips. "Theoretical at best. No one's ever tried it, much less succeeded." Though the Maidens came close…

"_That right? 'Cause I'm lookin' at someone who just did."_

Ozpin groaned and, in a rare moment of weakness, allowed his forehead to connect with his desk. "Explain."

"_This guy just appeared out of thin air right in front of me while I was on assignment, nearly scared the piss outta me."_

"I'm going to need more to go on than that."

"_Hey man, I'm just telling you what I saw. If you want more info, you're gonna have to talk to the kid yourself."_

An eyebrow was raised. "Kid? How old is he?"

"_Eh…seventeen, eighteen max. Pretty young. Could probably pass for a student at Beacon."_

Ozpin furrowed his brow, his mind racing furiously. "Get him here. I want to talk to him face-to-face."

"_Is he gonna be 'in the know' or just a student?"_

"…We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. I'll send a Bullhead in a week."

"_Understood."_

"Oh, and Qrow?"

"_Yeah?"_

"I just recieved a message from Taiyang. It seems you and Glynda will have to have another conversation about discipline while on assignment."

"…_Fuck."_

**[Break]**

Taiyang smirked at Qrow's expletive. Well, he _did_ warn him that he'd tell Ozpin about his disregard for the mission.

"So, Harry," he said, gaining the kids' attention. "You mentioned you're from another dimension? How can you prove that?"

Harry smirked and reached into his pocket, withdrawing a long, thin stick. "Observe," he said simply, and pointed the stick at a nearby spoon.

The spoon abruptly became a real, live, very confused duck.

Harry grinned at the others' incredulous stares. Yang poked the duck to see if it was real; she received an irritated quack, and the duck waddled over to Ruby, who began stroking its feathers.

Taiyang was the first to articulate complete words. "What and how?" he asked, eyes as wide as dinner plates.

Harry leaned across the table. "Tell me, have you ever heard of magic?"

Taiyang would have raised a skeptical eyebrow, but the duck currently sitting happily in Ruby's lap made him change his mind. "Until recently, I thought it was a myth," he replied. "But I'm not sure I believe that anymore."

Harry leaned back in his chair. "Well, where I come from, magic is real," he explained. "People born with it are sent to schools to learn to control their powers. There's more to it than that, and I would be happy to go into greater detail, but I think your daughters want to see more magic."

Ruby nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, please!" she exclaimed. The duck in her lap quacked in agreement, while Yang nodded with a look of interest on her face.

And so, Harry spent the next few minutes performing various magical feats. First was Apparition; Harry abruptly disappeared for a moment, then reappeared with a _crack_, with a cursing Qrow in tow. The disgruntled drunk yanked his arm out of Harry's grip and stalked out of the room, muttering about "annoying brats" and "not enough booze".

Several other tricks were performed, much to Ruby's delight, but he had to stop when he jokingly turned Yang's hair a violent shade of chartreuse.

When the former blonde realized what he'd done, she flew into a rage; she grabbed Harry by the front of his shirt and lifted him bodily from his chair, glaring at him with scarlet eyes.

"Change. It. Back," she snarled, and Harry quickly complied. Once her hair was back to its natural shade (she had inspected it thoroughly), she dropped Harry on his ass and sat back, occasionally sending him dark looks.

"Er…I think that's enough for now," said Harry, nervously edging away from Yang. Ruby whined in disappointment, but eventually relented.

"Well, that was certainly interesting," said Taiyang, leaning back in his chair. Inwardly, he breathed a sigh of relief. Yang could cause quite a bit of property damage when angered, especially if someone messed with her hair. Many a wannabe bully found that out the hard way.

"That was so _cool_!" gushed Ruby, who was nearly bouncing in her seat. "I wanna see more!"

"Maybe later, Rubes," said Taiyang. "I believe you two have some homework to finish." A pair of groans brought a smirk to his face. "And don't try to skip out! I'm going back to work on Monday, so you have no excuse!"

"Yeah, yeah," said Yang, as the two sisters trudged sullenly to their rooms. The duck happily waddled after them.

**[Break]**

The sun was just touching the horizon when Ruby finally finished her last assignment, a thousand-word essay on the best way to combat an Ursa, or as Ruby decided to call it, "cruel and unusual punishment".

Seriously, it was so simple to deal with an Ursa! She just used the tried-and-true strategy of "shoot it till it dies", or, failing that, "slash it till it dies". She shook her head at the foolishness of it and shoved herself away from her desk, before walking over to her dresser. The duck-that-until-recently-was-a-spoon was sound asleep on her bed.

She quickly changed into her pajamas, a black tank top with a heart-shaped Beowolf on it, along with white sweatpants with red hearts and slippers, before heading out into the living room.

Harry was sitting on the couch, fiddling with something on his lap. "Whatcha working on?" asked Ruby, flopping down next to him.

"My weapon," Harry replied. He held up the object in question: a black machine gun that looked startlingly similar to the German MG-42 light machine gun, with an oversized handguard and matching drum magazine attached.

"Cool~," said Ruby, taking in every detail she could without taking it from him. "What else does it do?"

"What do you mean?" asked Harry.

Ruby turned and faced him, sitting cross legged on the couch. This boy was about to learn today.

"Most weapons used to fight the Creatures of Grimm have at least two modes: ranged and melee," she explained. "Like my own weapon, Crescent Rose. It's a customizable, high-impact sniper rifle that can transform into a scythe." She pulled out her Scroll and showed Harry a video; after a little "accident" last year, she wasn't allowed to deploy Crescent Rose in the house anymore.

"That's wicked," said Harry, watching as Crescent Rose shifted from its rifle form to its scythe form and back. "So mine can do that too?"

"Most likely," replied Ruby. "We just have to find out how."

For the next ten minutes, the teens pored over every inch of the weapon. Finally, Harry noticed a tiny button at the top of the trigger guard. He pointed this out to Ruby, who looked at it closely.

"I think that's it," she said. "Let's go outside, though. Dad will kill me if I wreck the TV again."

They passed Qrow and Taiyang as they made their way outside. "Where're you kids going?" asked Qrow. "It's almost dark."

"We're checking out Harry's weapon!" replied Ruby. "Wanna see?"

Qrow and Taiyang looked at each other and shrugged, before following the teens out to the backyard.

"Okay, let 'er rip," said Ruby happily, once everyone had joined them. Harry nodded, then pressed the button.

He quickly held the weapon away from him as the stock suddenly extended, nearly catching him in the chest. The barrel and handguard also extended, increasing the overall length to around 8 feet. The oversized portions of the handguard extended, forming two curved blades. The main blade was roughly three-and-a-half feet long, while the secondary was roughly a foot-and-a-half.

"Whoa…" breathed Harry, before he was suddenly glomped by Ruby.

"Yay!" she cheered, bouncing around happily. "We're scythe buddies!"

Taiyang leaned in for a closer look. "It is rather impressive," he said. "But that brings up a question: can you use a scythe?"

Harry shook his head. "No. I've used a machine gun before, but never a scythe." He'd used a machine gun on an Auror assignment before retiring from the DMLE, but a scythe was new territory to him. He almost scoffed at the irony; the Master of Death using a scythe.

"No worries," said Taiyang. "I'm sure Qrow can teach you."

The raven-haired man glared at him. "Hey, I'm not the only scythe-user here, you know," he griped.

"That's true," admitted Taiyang with a knowing smile, "but you're the only one here who is also a fully qualified teacher, therefore making you the best candidate by default."

Qrow swore softly. "Fine, I'll teach him a thing or two," he said in defeat.

"I'll help!" said Ruby enthusiastically.

"Well, tomorrow _is_ Saturday…" said Taiyang. "What do you say, Harry?"

Harry looked at his new weapon and grinned. "I'm in!"

"Good," said Qrow, as an evil smile slowly stretched across his face. "Welcome to hell."

Harry's grin faltered slightly. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea…

Taiyang clapped Harry on the shoulder. "Excellent!" he said happily. "Now come on, I'll show you where you're sleeping."

**And that's it for chapter 2! Please leave a review if you liked it!**

**Credit for Harry's weapon goes to Anthony Marturana on Artstation.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Harry was rudely awoken early the next morning by someone dumping a bucket of ice water on his face. He sat bolt upright, gasping and spluttering. Next to the bed, Qrow stood with a bucket in hand and an unrepentant grin on his face.

"Rise and shine, sweetheart!" he hollered, smacking the bucket and producing a few loud _clangs_ for good measure.

Harry glared at the drunk. "What time is it?" he grumbled as he slowly climbed out of bed.

"Five in the morning. I was gonna get you up earlier, but I felt generous," replied Qrow. "Now come on, you want to learn how to use a scythe, right?"

Harry grumbled under his breath, but slowly crawled out of bed. He was already beginning to regret this decision. Qrow grinned and stuck the bucket on Harry's head, much to the teen's ire.

"Now hurry up, and wear something you won't mind getting dirty. If you're not out back in ten minutes, I'll start getting creative." With that, Qrow left the room, whistling a merry tune.

Harry glared at the man's retreating form and tossed the bucket to the side. He could already tell this would be a difficult day.

Ten minutes later, he stood across from Qrow in the backyard, weapon in hand. Qrow had drawn _Harbinger_ and transformed it into its scythe form.

The drunk slammed the butt of his weapon on the ground. "Alright, before we get started, we need to go over a couple of things," he said. "First of all, is your Aura unlocked?" At Harry's questioning look, he rolled his eyes. "I'll take that as a no. C'mere."

Harry approached warily, half expecting Qrow to take a swing at him with _Harbinger_.

"Oh, for God's sake…" grumbled Qrow. "I'm just gonna unlock your Aura, nothing more. No need to be scared." He put one hand on Harry's head and the other on his chest, then closed his eyes. When he opened them again a few seconds later, they were glowing slightly.

"_For it is in passing that we achieve immortality,"_ he chanted. _"Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee."_

Harry gasped as he felt his magic respond. It pulsed in time with his heartbeat, expanding a little bit more every time. He also felt something else, something more, mixing in with his magic reserves. Suddenly, the energy surged outwards with a colossal shockwave, sending Harry to his knees with its intensity. It felt like his magic was escaping through every pore of his body.

Qrow was thrown bodily across the yard, but he managed to right himself and land on his feet, breathing heavily.

Harry knelt in the center of the explosion, the grass around him pressed flat. A green-and-black aura surrounded him, flickering like a flame. Qrow felt an intense pressure weighing down on him; this kid had a _lot_ of Aura.

Harry slowly got to his feet as his Aura died down, looking at himself with wide eyes. He opened and closed his hands a few times, trying to get used to the feeling. He felt…great. Fantastic. Like he could take on the world bare-handed and win.

There was a crash as a pajama-clad Yang, Ruby, and Taiyang burst through the back door. Ruby unfolded _Crescent_ _Rose_, Yang had on a pair of golden gauntlets, and Taiyang was brandishing a red-and-yellow pump-action shotgun.

"What happened?" demanded Yang, dropping into a fighting stance.

Qrow pushed himself to his feet with a grunt. "False alarm," he replied. "I unlocked Harry's Aura. It was a bit more intense than I expected."

"A bit?" asked Taiyang incredulously. "The house was shaking!"

Harry's eyes widened. "Sorry!"

"Don't worry about it," replied Qrow with a dismissive wave of his hand. "No harm done. Now, let's get back to training." He picked up _Harbinger_ and held it across his body at an angle, with the tip of the blade facing Harry. "This is a basic ready stance. Try and imitate this pose."

And so it went; Qrow would demonstrate a stance or technique and Harry would imitate it, with Qrow (and occasionally Ruby) correcting mistakes as they saw them. Harry learned quickly, much to Qrow's delight.

"You know," he said as they all broke for lunch, "I think we'll make a halfway-decent Huntsman out of you yet."

Harry rolled his eyes but couldn't help but smile at the backhanded praise.

Ruby sat next to them, running her hands over Harry's weapon, which he'd finally let her hold after a good ten minutes of begging. "Hey, Harry, have you thought about what you're gonna name your weapon?"

Harry looked up, confused. "Name it?"

Ruby looked shocked. "Of course!" she exclaimed. "You _have_ to name it! It's your partner!"

Yang gave Harry an apologetic look. "Sorry about her, she's a bit of a weapon geek."

"Yaaang!"

Harry simply smiled at the two sisters. "A name, huh?" he mumbled. He thought for a minute, until the perfect name jumped out in his mind.

"_Mors_ _Umbra_," he decided. "The Shadow of Death." And indeed, it seemed to fit the weapon perfectly.

Ruby had stars in her eyes. "So cool…" she breathed.

Yang rolled her eyes. "Sorry about her, she's a bit of a weapon geek."

"Yaaaang!"

Harry just chuckled while Ruby pouted. "So what's your weapon?" he asked Yang, taking a bite of a sandwich as he did so.

Yang grinned and flexed her wrists; a pair of gold bracelets suddenly shifted and expanded to form the gauntlets he'd seen earlier. "Harry, meet _Ember Celica_," she said happily. "Basically, they're gauntlets with shotguns. Gives my punches a bit more oomph."

Harry nodded in appreciation. "They suit you."

Yang grinned, with an almost unnoticeable trace of red dusting her cheeks. "They do, don't they?"

"Alright, lovebirds," said Qrow as he stood, ignoring both teens as they blushed and scooted away from each other. "It's time to get back to training. Ruby, come here a minute."

Ruby looked up in surprise as Harry pried _Mors Umbra_ away from her with great difficulty. "Me? What for?" she asked.

Qrow grinned. "You're gonna spar for a bit. Oh, don't give me that look." He directed the last part toward Harry, who was about to object. "She's the only one here close to your size, and she uses a similar weapon. She'll take it easy on you, but the only way to really learn how to apply the skills I've taught you so far is to try them out in a fight."

Harry still felt unsure, but Ruby threw her arm around his shoulders. "Aw, c'mon! It'll be fun!" she said happily.

Finally, Harry relented, and the two faced off in the backyard.

"Alright," said Qrow, who would be acting as referee. "This match will go on until I say stop, or until one of you is disarmed, or otherwise unable to continue. Ruby, no using your Semblance." He looked to Harry and Ruby, who had dropped into ready stances, and raised his arm. "Ready?"

When they nodded, he brought his arm down. "Begin!"

**[Break]**

Harry hissed as Yang applied some peroxide to his cuts. After the impromptu sparring match, everyone had adjourned to the kitchen. The sparring match itself had been a complete beatdown in Ruby's favor, ending up with Harry unconscious against a tree.

"That actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," said Qrow. He was leaning against the counter, his ever-present flask in hand.

"Thanks for the–ouch!–vote of confidence," grumbled Harry, wincing as Yang pressed a sensitive cut.

"Well, you didn't expect to master everything in one day, did you?" asked Qrow rhetorically. "Ruby here took about two years to get where she is now."

Ruby, who was sitting on the counter, grinned happily. "Yup! Now I'm super-awesome!" she cheered.

Qrow gave her a sideways look and smirked. "Oh, is that arrogance I hear?" he asked. "Maybe _we_ should spar next, Ruby. I kinda want to see how far you've come."

Ruby paled and made an 'X' with her arms. "No thanks! I'm good!"

Qrow turned back to Harry. "In any case, all you need to do is keep practicing. It'll take time, but I bet we can get you to an acceptable level by the time Yang leaves for Beacon."

Harry tilted his head in confusion. "Beacon?" he asked.

"It's one of the premier Huntsman Academies around the world," explained Taiyang. "There are four in total: Beacon, Shade, Atlas, and Haven. One for each of the kingdoms. Beacon is Vale's academy."

Harry nodded in understanding. "So what do these academies teach?"

Taiyang pulled up a chair and sat across the table from Harry and Yang. "Well, their main purpose is to train Huntsmen and Huntresses to fight Grimm," he said. "But fully-fledged Huntsmen or Huntresses can take missions and earn some cash."

"So it's kind of like bounty hunting?" asked Harry.

"Kinda," said Taiyang. "There are bounty missions where you earn money for killing Grimm, but you could also take missions for village security, search and rescue, stuff like that."

"Sounds interesting," said Harry, before looking at Yang. "And you want to be a Huntress?"

Yang grinned. "Yup! Me and Ruby both!" she said happily. "Wanted to since we were kids!"

Harry couldn't help but share her grin. "Sounds like fun!"

"There's still a long way to go before that happens," interjected Qrow. "If you want to apply to Beacon, we'll have to cram as much training as we can into about three months, then hope it's enough to help you pass the combat exam."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Combat exam?" he asked.

"Since you didn't go to a school like Signal, like Ruby and Yang did, you have to literally fight to be considered. It's going to be very difficult," said Taiyang. "Not impossible, but you'll have to really push yourself." He gave Harry a serious look. "It's not something to take lightly. Are you sure you want to do this?"

Harry nodded resolutely.

Qrow grinned widely. "Good to hear."

**[Break]**

Six days after Harry's arrival on Remnant, while the others were at school or work, Qrow and Harry were training in the backyard when Qrow called for a break. Harry, out of breath and dripping with sweat, collapsed _Mors_ _Umbra_ and fell flat on his back on the grass.

Qrow, who didn't seem to be tired in the least, sat down next to him and pulled out his flask, taking a swig.

"We won't be training tomorrow," he said abruptly.

Harry sat up and looked at his mentor in confusion. "Why not?"

"I have a friend in Vale who wants to meet you," explained Qrow. "His name's Ozpin. He's the headmaster of Beacon."

Harry's eyes widened. "Why does he want to meet me?" he asked. "I thought I had to take the combat exam to get into Beacon."

Qrow took another gulp from his flask. "Oh, it's nothing like that," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "And even if he did offer you a place at Beacon, I'd still make you take the combat exam just because."

Harry glared at his mentor, who steadfastly ignored him.

"Anyway, he wants to meet you so he can learn more about that magic you use," continued Qrow. "I don't know all the details myself, but he's sending a Bullhead over tomorrow."

Harry felt conflicted. On one hand, meeting the headmaster of the school he wanted to attend was a great way to make a lasting first impression. On the other, he'd rather keep his magic a secret from as many people as possible unless there was no other choice.

"What can you tell me about this Ozpin guy?" asked Harry.

Qrow actually laughed out loud at his question. "You're askin' the wrong person, kiddo," he said once he'd calmed down. "Ozpin's a mystery even to the ones he works with."

'Great,' thought Harry. 'It seems there's a Dumbledore in every universe.'

"But if you're asking my honest opinion," continued Qrow in a thoughtful tone, "I'd say he's a good guy, even if he does keep secrets. He's trustworthy."

'I'll be the judge of that,' thought Harry, but outwardly he nodded.

"Excellent!" said Qrow as he climbed to his feet. "Now get up, I've let you rest long enough!"

Harry groaned, but forced himself to his feet to continue the torture Qrow called training, unfolding _Mors Umbra_ as he did so. Across from him, Qrow brandished _Harbinger_ in its scythe form.

"Alright then, come at me!"

**[Break]**

The Bullhead came for them at nine the next morning. The behemoth VTOL craft touched down just outside the house, in a nearby clearing.

Qrow and Harry walked up just as the cargo door opened, revealing a blonde-haired woman wearing a white shirt, purple cape, black skirt, and black stockings and heels. A small pair of glasses rested in front of her bright green eyes, and she was staring at Qrow with annoyance.

Qrow suddenly started sweating. 'Shit, shit, shit! Didn't think Ozpin would send _her_!' he thought, inwardly panicking.

After a few seconds, the woman turned her attention to Harry. Her expression softened and she held out her hand. "Hello, you must be Harry. My name is Glynda Goodwitch, and I'm one of the teachers at Beacon, as well as the Deputy Headmistress."

Harry shook the outstretched hand, fighting off memories of one Minerva McGonagall. "Pleasure to meet you, ma'am," he replied politely. "If you don't mind me asking, what exactly do you teach?"

Glynda gave an almost unnoticeable smile. She'd half expected the boy to take up some of Qrow's habits, but it seems she was mistaken. "In addition to my duties as Deputy Headmistress, I also teach the advanced Combat class. I also supervise the sanctioned sparring matches between students."

Harry couldn't help but be impressed. As the former Headmaster of Hogwarts and a former Auror, he was no stranger to responsibility. "I'm looking forward to your class, Professor Goodwitch," he said honestly. And he was; Qrow said he'd taken to sparring like a fish to water, discounting the first disastrous attempt against Ruby. Harry likened his newfound love of training to his skill at Defense Against the Dark Arts, not that anyone else knew that.

Glynda gave an appreciative nod. "I'm glad to hear that, Mr. Potter," she replied. "I will be keeping an eye on you when you take your combat exam." She turned to Qrow and frowned. "You, on the other hand…"

Qrow sent a panicked look in Harry's direction; Harry just grinned and shook his head. The message was clear. _You made your bed, now lie in it._

'Traitor,' thought Qrow, flinching as Glynda drew her weapon, a riding crop aptly named "_The Disciplinarian_", and began slapping her other hand with it.

"Now, Qrow, we have an hour-long flight ahead of us," she said, malice dripping off every word. "Why don't we have a little _talk_ about your last mission?"

"Mother," Qrow whimpered under his breath as Glynda advanced with her riding crop, intent on giving the raven-haired man a thorough tongue-lashing.

Harry just found a chair and closed his eyes, intent on taking a nap, while trying to tune out Glynda's scolding and Qrow's whimpering.

**[Break]**

She leaned against a tree, panting heavily. She'd been running for miles, trying to escape.

She was sure she'd lost her pursuers, but to be safe, she'd sent two clones in different directions. Better safe than sorry. Adam was a capable tracker, after all.

After a quick glance at the sun, she altered her path so she was heading south. The longer she stayed in the forest, the faster they might find her. That thought alone gave her the energy she needed to push herself off the tree.

She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Each tiny sound brought her hand to her weapon in near-panic. She couldn't afford to lose control. Not until she was safe.

And she would never be safe.

She stopped by a stream and refilled her empty canteen, taking several gulps of the refreshing water. She splashed some water on her face to clear her head, then looked at her reflection.

Eyes the color of molten gold stared back at her under a curtain of pitch-black hair. Her pale skin seemed even more so in the morning sun. And on the top of her head, the bane of her existence.

She drew her weapon, her beloved _Gambol Shroud_. With a heavy heart, she sliced off a portion of the black ribbon attached to the hilt.

With tears in her eyes, she fashioned it into a bow and tied it around the black cat ears on her head, hiding them from view.

She stared at her new look, her new identity, reflected in the slowly moving current.

She could never go back.

But she could move forward.

And so Blake Belladonna pressed onward. With luck, she would make it to Vale by the afternoon.

**And that's Chapter 3! Thanks to everyone who reviewed! If you haven't, please do! It fuels my creative engine!**

**I'll try to avoid using author notes, but this one is worth mentioning: I had to take a creative liberty with Taiyang's weapon, since it hasn't been revealed to my knowledge. Also, regarding Qrow's teaching Harry, I'm using the basics of bo staff fighting as I was taught by my martial arts instructor.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Ozpin took a long sip of his hot chocolate, letting the sweet taste linger on his taste buds. It was his guilty pleasure, one of the few luxuries he allowed himself to indulge in.

He sighed and set down his mug. As he stood from behind his desk, he reached out to grab _The Long Memory_ from its resting place next to his chair. The slow clanking of the giant gears on the office ceiling followed him onto the balcony, which overlooked the courtyard of Beacon Academy.

'_Something troubles you.'_

Ozpin sighed and leaned forward until his forearms rested against the balcony rail. 'Many things, old friend,' he replied. 'I just wonder if I'm making the right decision.'

He felt Ozma's raised eyebrow. _'Regarding the wizard, correct?'_

'Supposed wizard,' corrected Ozpin. 'All I have to go on is what Qrow's told me, and you know how he likes being vague.'

'_Pot, meet kettle.'_

A frown. 'That's not what I meant.'

'_Perhaps not. That doesn't make it any less true.'_

'Are you going to help or not?'

Ozma frowned, not that anyone could see. _'I say it's worth a try,' _he replied. _'I sense his claim to possess magic is true, but it's unlike anything we have experience with. It may be due to him hailing from another dimension.'_

'If his claims are true.'

'_Indeed, there is the chance he's lying. But ask yourself: why would he lie about something like that in such an outrageous fashion? I myself am still discovering new methods of using magic that I have never considered before. Just the other day…'_

'Alright, you've made your point,' interrupted Ozpin. Once Ozma started storytelling, it was hell getting him to stop. 'But do you think he can save her?'

'_We can only wait and see, my friend.'_

Ozpin stayed silent, watching as a particular Bullhead approached the airfield.

**[Break]**

As they landed, Glynda announced that she would accompany Harry and Qrow to Beacon. She claimed that she was merely showing the kid around, but Qrow knew better.

She wanted to keep an eye on him.

That was the last thing he wanted. After the dressing-down he'd received on the Bullhead (in which Glynda promised bodily injury if he put so much as a toe out of line on his next mission), he was eager to get away and enjoy a pint or twelve. Unfortunately for him, Glynda had the eyes of a hawk, and was very quick on the draw.

So he was stuck in the odd position of being a chaperone while being chaperoned.

While Qrow cursed his misfortune, Harry was asking Glynda various questions about Beacon, which the blonde professor was more than happy to answer. Anyone who could put up with Qrow's habits and not be affected was okay in her books.

"So it's a boarding school?" Harry asked as they strolled through the market district. Around them, various people lined the sidewalks, occasionally peeking through windows to see what sort of new thing was available.

Glynda nodded. "Yes, the students are divided into teams and issued dorm rooms. They have the option of staying year-round, but many students return home for the winter and summer breaks," she explained.

"I see," said Harry. Beacon was starting to sound more and more like Hogwarts. "You said the students are divided into teams?"

"Yes. Every year, the first-year students go through Initiation, in which they are assigned partners with whom they will work for the next four years."

Harry idly dodged a rushing pedestrian. "And how are teams decided?"

Glynda gave a small smirk. "That, Mr. Potter, would be telling."

Harry gave an exaggerated sigh. "Of course."

Glynda had to stifle a smile. The kid had a good head on his shoulders, and was definitely more mature than she had expected, but she was secretly glad he could act his age occasionally.

They rounded a corner, only for someone to crash into Harry, sending them both to the ground.

"Ouch!"

"Oof!"

The distinctly feminine voice made Harry look up. Currently resting on his chest was a pale-skinned girl of around eighteen, with brown hair and, interestingly enough, a pair of rabbit ears on the top of her head. From his close proximity, Harry could tell that they were genuinely real.

The girl suddenly realized she was laying on top of someone and hurriedly leapt up. "Omygosh, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, holding out a hand to Harry. "Are you alright? I'm sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going!"

"It's alright," said Harry, grasping the offered hand and letting the rabbit-girl help him up. "No harm done."

The girl sighed in relief. "Thank goodness," she said. "I'm Velvet, Velvet Scarlatina."

"Harry Potter, future Beacon student," replied Harry. Velvet's eyes lit up.

"Oh, you're going to be a first year?" she asked. Her rabbit ears twitched in excitement, but Harry decided it wasn't a good idea to comment on them. Years of living with Ron's profound lack of tact helped him learn to think before he spoke. Besides, he could always ask Glynda or Qrow later.

"Hopefully. I didn't go to a school, so I have to take the combat exam," Harry admitted. "I heard it's pretty tough, so I'm training with a couple of friends."

Velvet giggled. "Oh, it's not that bad," she said. "Just don't panic and trust your instincts and you'll be fine."

"That's a relief," Harry said with an exaggerated sigh, making Velvet giggle again. "Well, I should probably be going, I have an appointment I need to get to. Sorry to take up your time."

Velvet smiled. "Not at all, it was nice to meet you," she replied. "Good luck on the exam!"

"Thanks! Nice to meet you too!" Harry replied. The rabbit-eared girl gave a cheerful wave as she jogged away. As she turned the corner, Harry turned to see Qrow and Glynda looking at him, one with a smirk, and the other with a raised eyebrow. "What?"

Qrow waved him off. "Nothing, nothing," he drawled. He made to pull his flask out of his pocket, but stopped when he noticed Glynda's hand inching toward her riding crop.

The blond Huntress smirked to herself (she did love intimidating the bothersome man) and looked back to Harry. "I'm surprised you didn't comment on her appearance," she admitted. "Many people don't treat Faunus nearly as well as you just did."

"Faunus?" Harry asked, raising a questioning eyebrow. "What's a Faunus?"

"To put it simply, they're people who have some animal traits," Qrow explained. "Like the young lady you just met. She was a rabbit Faunus."

"Which explains the ears." Glynda nodded, picking up where Qrow left off.

"Yes, exactly. Most Faunus have external features that identify them as such. Usually it's something obvious, like ears or horns, but sometimes there are more subtle traits. For example, I've met a panther Faunus that looked completely human, only to find that he has retractable claws." Glynda put a finger on her chin in thought. "I believe he runs a bookstore somewhere near here."

The mental image of a certain bookworm's disastrous experience with Polyjuice Potion suddenly came to Harry's mind; he had to utilize every ounce of his considerable self-control to not burst out laughing. If Ron and Hermione were here, Harry knew for a fact that Ron wouldn't hesitate to bring that memory up.

"Well, she seemed nice," he said. The rabbit Faunus seemed like someone he could be friends with.

"Many Faunus are," Glynda agreed, before she suddenly frowned. "Unfortunately, not everyone shares that point of view. There's quite a bit of racism regarding the Faunus; people believe them to be nothing more than animals."

Harry mentally groaned; even in another dimension, he couldn't escape bigotry. "That's just stupid," he said bluntly. "Faunus are people too. Just because someone looks different doesn't mean they're any less of a person."

Glynda smiled warmly. "You are very mature for your age," she said. "If only everyone shared your outlook." She checked her watch. "We should be going. This way." Harry nodded, and the trio continued on their way.

**[Break]**

Blake was confused.

She had, of course, overheard the conversation the black-haired boy had with the rabbit Faunus who crashed into him. At first, she had been prepared to jump to the girl's defense at the first sign of hostility, completely disregarding the two fully-fledged Hunters the boy was with.

Then, much to her shock, he'd started a pleasant, if brief, conversation, completely ignoring the girl's Faunus features. He treated her like a person worth talking to, not some animal.

This was worth investigating.

She discreetly began following the group. From the path they were taking, it looked like they were headed for Beacon. Suddenly, she had an idea.

The White Fang claimed they were making the world a better place for Faunus, and perhaps they were at one point, but now they were nothing but terrorists. Her last mission with Adam proved that. If she became a Huntress, maybe she could fight back, instead of running away.

With the beginnings of a plan in mind, she sped up slightly to keep the group in sight.

**[Break]**

They arrived at Beacon just as the sun reached its peak. Glynda led Harry and Qrow through the courtyard, in which various students, some human and some Faunus, were milling about. Some of the students glanced curiously in their direction, and others politely greeted Glynda, but for the most part, they were ignored.

The blonde Huntress eventually led them inside the main building and over to what was obviously an elevator. Once everyone was inside, she pulled out a tablet of some sort and typed in a password. As soon as she finished, the elevator began rising.

The doors soon opened to a very odd room. A large white desk sat in the middle of the floor, underneath a series of slowly turning gears that were hanging from the ceiling. Behind the desk sat a middle-aged man with silver hair and glasses, with a green shirt and a black jacket. A cup of hot chocolate sat in front of him.

"Professor Ozpin," said Glynda. "I've brought Harry Potter as you requested." Qrow looked a little bit offended that he hadn't been mentioned, but he held his tongue–Glynda's riding crop _hurt_.

"Thank you, Glynda," said the Headmaster. "You may return to your duties." Glynda nodded twice: once in understanding to Ozpin, and again in farewell to Harry, before turning and walking back to the elevator.

"Harry Potter," said Ozpin, as soon as the elevator doors closed. "It's good to meet you at last."

"Likewise, sir," Harry replied professionally. He wasn't about to blindly trust the man right off the bat, but that didn't mean he couldn't at least be civil.

Ozpin smiled and leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers in front of him. "Do you know why I asked you here today?"

Harry's green eyes met the Headmaster's brown, and Harry threw up Occlumency shields on instinct. "No, sir," he replied.

Ozpin nodded. "I suspected as much. Very well, I shall get right to the point." He leaned forward in his chair. "Qrow has told me that you possess magic."

Harry sent a quick glare at Qrow, who was taking advantage of Glynda's absence and chugging his flask, before returning his gaze to the Headmaster. "What of it?"

Ozpin stood and walked out from behind his desk, cane in hand. "If you don't mind, would you please demonstrate?" He raised his cane like a sword. "I wish to be certain of your abilities before we continue."

Harry looked slightly bewildered, but handed _Mors Umbra_ to Qrow and drew his wand. "Are you sure?" he asked. "I don't want to hurt you by mistake."

The smile that Ozpin sent him was equal parts amused and patronizing. "If you manage to hurt me, I will be very impressed."

Harry looked back at Qrow, who shrugged and took another gulp from his flask.

After a few seconds, Harry turned back to Ozpin and raised his wand. "Very well." He entered his dueling stance. "Qrow, give us a countdown." The drunk Huntsman rolled his eyes but complied.

"Three…two…one…begin!"

Harry raised his wand to cast a Stunning Spell, but Ozpin had already begun moving. _The Long Memory_ came arcing down toward Harry's head much faster than the teen had anticipated; Harry was forced to Apparate to dodge the blow.

Gritting his teeth, Harry sent a chain of spells at the Headmaster. A Stunning Spell, followed by a Body-Bind and a Bludgeoning Hex, soared from his wand, but Ozpin simply batted them out of the air, the smile never leaving his face.

Harry growled under his breath and began sending a flurry of spells in Ozpin's direction. Body-Binds, Stunners, various hexes, and even a _Sectumsempra_, flew across the room.

Ozpin, in a remarkable display of agility, dodged each one. Then, to Harry's astonishment, his form blurred forward at a speed impossible for a human to obtain.

He couldn't avoid the strike to his gut. Harry staggered back, holding his abdomen, and glared at the Headmaster. Time to pull out the big guns.

Harry's magic exploded around him, amplified by his Aura. A strong, sourceless wind picked up, swirling around Harry as he focused his power. Ozpin raised an eyebrow, then abruptly lowered his cane and relaxed his stance.

"That's enough," he said simply.

Harry stared in shock as his magic died down. "What? You're giving up?"

Ozpin chuckled. "Oh, of course not," he said, amusement coloring his tone. "I daresay I could have defeated you quite easily. However, it was not my intention to do so." He walked back over to his desk and sat down. "No, I was simply curious to see what you were capable of."

Harry couldn't quite articulate complete sentences. "Uh…"

Ozpin sighed. "The reason I wanted to test your abilities is…I need your help," he said bluntly. "I don't suppose Qrow has told you the legend of the Four Maidens?"

Harry shook his head mutely. Ozpin settled back in his chair.

"To paraphrase: millennia ago, there was a man who had powerful magic. He was visited often by four sisters, all of whom were very kind to him. To repay their kindness, he granted them powerful magical abilities," said Ozpin. He took a sip of his hot chocolate before continuing. "They were dubbed the Four Maidens, and each took an aspect of the four seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Do you understand so far?"

Harry nodded. "I think so," he said. "It's certainly not the strangest thing I've heard."

Ozpin took another sip of his hot chocolate. "I understand. Now, according to the legend, the Maidens' powers are transferred to another host at the time of the current Maiden's death. Usually, it's the last female person she has in mind before dying. However, their powers can also be stolen."

Harry frowned in confusion. "So what does that have to do with me?" he asked.

Ozpin stood from his desk. "Follow me," he said, walking over to the elevator. The doors opened automatically, and Ozpin, Harry, and Qrow all entered.

They descended past the first floor and several floors below that, before finally emerging in a kind of basement. A long hallway stretched forward, with several smaller hallways splitting off every so often. Ozpin gestured for Harry and Qrow to follow as he exited the elevator. Their footsteps echoed loudly in the expansive chamber.

"This is the Vault," explained Ozpin. "Only a select few people know about this room. It is one of Beacon's most guarded secrets."

They stopped at the far end of the hallway, where several large machines stood. Connected between them was a large container, big enough for a grown man to stand comfortably. Harry glanced through the glass and nearly recoiled.

Inside, seemingly unconscious, was a young woman with tan skin and brown hair, wearing a white tube top and skirt. Her otherwise pretty face was scarred heavily, but it somehow didn't detract too much from her looks.

"This is Amber," said Ozpin, "the current Fall Maiden."

Harry looked back at the Headmaster in shock. "Is this why you wanted to see me?" he asked. Ozpin nodded in confirmation. "Why?"

"A few months ago, Amber was attacked," said Qrow. "She was still inexperienced with her powers. Someone ambushed her and tried to steal her magic. Almost succeeded, but I managed to intervene before they could steal all of it."

"We were hoping you might be able to help her," finished Ozpin.

Harry glanced back at Amber's comatose form for a moment, then turned back to the Headmaster.

"I'll see what I can do."

**That's all for this chapter! Please leave a review if you enjoyed!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Qrow watched carefully as Harry began his preparations. The teen was circling Amber's life-support machine with his wand in hand, muttering under his breath while making various movements with said wand.

He still wasn't sure what Ozpin was thinking ('What else is new?' he thought with a mental snort), allowing a total stranger access to the Vault, much less to Amber herself, but he trusted the Headmaster with his life.

He pulled out his flask and took a sip. "I hope you know what you're doing," he whispered to Ozpin. The headmaster stared at Amber's vulnerable form and took a sip of hot chocolate. If Qrow hadn't known Ozpin as well as he did, he would have missed the minute trembling of Ozpin's hand.

Finally, Harry stopped his circling and walked over to the two men. "Well, I have good news and bad news," he said.

"Bad news first," said Qrow immediately.

Harry ran a hand through his hair with a heavy sigh. "Bad news is, there's nothing I can do to reclaim her power." He shook his head sadly. "Based on what you've told me about the Maidens' magic, her attacker would have to die in order for her powers to return."

Ozpin grimaced. That wasn't what he wanted to hear. "And the good news?"

Harry's expression softened. "I might have a way to wake her up."

Both men stared at the teenage wizard. "How?" asked Qrow.

"A special branch of mental magic called Legilimency," Harry explained, slipping into what Ron had dubbed 'Professor Potter mode'. "Legilimency is designed to view the thoughts and memories of the person on whom it's used. Normally, that's the extent of it, but I've made a modification." He gave a small smile. "I can go into her mind and interact with it, possibly bringing her out of whatever is keeping her in a coma."

"What about her physical state?" asked Ozpin. "She's been comatose for months now, so I assume she will be very weak."

"And you would be correct." Harry nodded to the Headmaster. "But I have several potions that will help speed her recovery up. She won't be combat ready for quite some time, but she will most likely recover."

"Most likely?" asked Qrow.

Harry sighed. "Mental magic is very delicate. If someone inexperienced in the art were to try this, they may cause irreparable damage, or even kill her by accident."

Ozpin looked at the teen over his glasses. "And you have confidence in your abilities?" he asked.

Harry nodded. "I do."

Ozpin and Qrow shared a look, before the Headmaster turned back to Harry. "Then proceed."

With a determined nod, Harry slipped a hand into the collar of his shirt and retrieved his mokeskin pouch, which he affectionately called his 'bug-out bag'. It contained his emergency trunk (twelve compartments, including a library, potions lab, fully-stocked kitchen, and a bedroom with an attached bathroom), his Firebolt, a bag with one thousand Galleons, a backup wand, and a spare invisibility cloak. Ever since he'd received it from Hagrid on his seventeenth birthday, he never went anywhere without it.

He'd discovered it the day after he started training with Qrow. He wasn't quite sure how he'd managed to keep it after he kicked the bucket and went dimension-hopping, but he wasn't about to look a gift thestral in the mouth.

He pulled out his trunk and opened the fourth compartment, which contained his potions lab, and pointed his wand at it. "_Accio._"

Two bottles flew out of the trunk. One was filled with a pink liquid, while the other's contents were dark blue.

"A Strengthening Solution and a Dreamless Sleep Potion," he explained to the bewildered men. "Both do exactly as their name implies." He closed the trunk and set the potions on the lid, before rolling up his sleeves. "Please open the machine," he said to Ozpin.

The Headmaster nodded and pressed a button. With a mechanical hiss, the lid of Amber's life-support pod slowly slid upward.

Harry took a deep breath and let it out slowly, before gently placing his hands on either side of Amber's face. This part required finesse; it was much more difficult to use Legilimency on an unconscious person.

After a few moments of mental preparation, he gently pried open Amber's eyes and whispered, "_Legilimens._"

**[Break]**

The first thing Harry noticed about Amber's mindscape was how deteriorated it was. It was modeled after Beacon, but at the moment it looked like a warzone.

Above him, the sky was a bloody crimson. The grass in the courtyard was brown and dead. There were huge chunks torn out of the sidewalks. Before him was a statue of two Hunters standing victorious over a Grimm, but the top portion had been ripped off and cast aside.

Beacon itself was no better. Windows were broken, staircases were demolished, and doors were ripped clean off their hinges. Black clouds swirled ominously around the central spire.

Harry frowned; Amber's mindscape was much worse off than he thought. Whoever had stolen her power did horrific damage. He needed to find her consciousness before her mental state deteriorated further.

The broken front door creaked ominously on its remaining hinge as he pushed it aside and made his way through the entryway and into the main foyer. The elevator, identical to the one he used in the real world, was completely destroyed, with the snapped cables dangling limply in the empty shaft.

Harry jogged up a relatively stable flight of stairs carefully; even if he was just a mental projection at the moment, any injury he received in Amber's mind would affect his physical body. Falling from great heights didn't exactly do one's health any favors.

Unfortunately, the stairs led to a dead end. A monstrous pile of rubble separated Harry from whatever was on the other side.

Harry was starting to get worried. He needed to find Amber's consciousness quickly. With a wave of his wand, the rubble lifted, giving him just enough room to squeeze through. Another wave of his wand, and the pile fell with an ominous _boom_. Grimacing, he continued his trek.

The condition of Amber's mindscape seemed to grow worse the closer he got to where Ozpin's office would be in the real world. While the floors below had been cracked and broken, the upper floors had holes torn through them, leading to a very long drop to the ground floor. More than once, Harry had to sidle past a particularly large gap in the stairs to keep from ending up a mental pancake. Finally, after what felt like hours, he reached Ozpin's office.

Or rather, what was left of it.

In lieu of a door, something had broken directly through the wall; likely whoever attacked Amber. The office itself was completely trashed: papers were strewn everywhere, the desk in the center of the room was broken in half, and the massive gears that used to hang from the ceiling were lying in fragments, scattered across the floor. Harry entered carefully, wand held at the ready.

He paused when he heard a small noise. With a thought, he lit up his wand tip and cast the light over the destroyed office.

"Is there anyone here?" he called out.

A gasp came from behind the overturned, broken desk. Holding his wand over his head, Harry inched closer until he found the source.

Amber's consciousness had taken a beating; while on the outside, she had the body of a young woman, the girl before Harry couldn't have been older than six. Cuts and bruises littered her petite frame, and she had a scar on her face in the same spot her adult self did in the real world. She looked up at Harry with wide, terrified eyes.

"No, don't hurt me, don't hurt me, please…" she whispered, trying and failing to scoot away from the wizard.

Harry lowered his wand and knelt, gently shushing the traumatized girl. "Easy," he whispered. "I'm not going to hurt you." He held out a hand. "My name's Harry, I'm here to help."

Amber looked from Harry's face to his hand and back, before gently placing her own trembling hand in his. Harry gave her a soothing smile, which she shakily returned.

"Now then, how about we get out of here?" he asked.

"Can't," whispered Amber, pressing against Harry. "The monster will come back."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Monster? What kind of monster?"

As if in answer, a resounding roar echoed across the ruined mental landscape. Amber gave a squeak of terror and tried to hide herself behind the broken table. Harry swore under his breath as he leapt to his feet, just in time to behold a gigantic Grimm Dragon breaking through the balcony door, sending rubble and broken glass everywhere. Amber gave a shriek of fright and cowered behind the table.

Harry's wand slashed through the air. "_Sectumsempra!_"

The Dark curse opened a large gash in the Grimm's hide and elicited a roar of pain, but the wound was merely superficial and only served to anger the monster, which barreled toward Harry, intent on devouring him whole. With the reflexes of the youngest Seeker in over two centuries, Harry managed to dodge the behemoth; he didn't come all this way just to become some overgrown lizard's dinner.

He cursed as the dragon recovered and maneuvered for another attack. He needed to end the fight _now_. He raised his wand, aiming directly at the dragon's face. "_Avada Kedavra!_"

The sickly green curse exploded from Harry's wand. With a sound like the wings of Death, it roared across the room and slammed into the Grimm…and did absolutely nothing. With an oath, Harry leapt aside, narrowly avoiding the dragon's bulk. He raised his wand to attempt another spell, but the dragon caught him in the chest with its powerful tail, sending the wizard careening into the opposite wall.

**[Break]**

In the real world, Ozpin and Qrow watched anxiously as Harry descended into a trance. A few moments later, a sickening _crack_ emanated from the teen's rib cage and left shoulder, and a trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth.

Both men stared incredulously at the now-injured wizard. "What the hell?" asked Qrow. "Did he just break a rib?"

"At least two, from the look of it, as well as his shoulder," replied Ozpin as he checked over the wizard. "What should we do?"

Qrow shrugged. "No idea. I don't want to risk moving him, though. Who knows what might happen if we do."

Ozpin swore under his breath. Nothing to do but wait.

**[Break]**

Harry groaned and spat out a glob of blood, holding his ribs with his good arm. He'd be feeling that one in the morning. He groaned as his shoulder throbbed. 'Definitely broken,' he thought, pointing his wand at himself. "_Ferula._"

Immediately, a makeshift sling appeared and applied itself to his injured arm, taking pressure off the joint. Harry gave a slight groan of relief and managed to push himself to his knees with his good arm.

"Are you okay?" asked Amber, peeking over the edge of the table and eyeing his new sling warily. Harry gave her a pained smile.

"Never better," he replied, giving the young girl a thumbs-up. Amber gave him a tiny, relieved smile before ducking back behind the table.

Harry stood shakily, gripping his wand tightly in his trembling hand. 'Of course _Avada Kedavra _didn't work,' he thought. 'It rips the soul from the body; Grimm don't _have_ souls. _Wonderful._.'

The dragon roared and charged again. Faced with few options, Harry raised his wand and cast the first spell that came to his mind.

"_Expecto Patronum!_"

A silvery mist poured from his wand tip, forming a formless barrier between Harry and the Grimm. The dragon slammed headfirst into the barrier and succeeded in pushing Harry farther back, but the Patronus held strong.

'Interesting,' thought Harry, dispelling the Patronus and darting to the side, just in time to avoid another wild charge from the Grimm. He needed a memory, a happy memory. 'Think, damn it!' he told himself.

The photo of himself, Ron, and Hermione celebrating his becoming Headmaster of Hogwarts emerged from his subconscious, along with the unrestrained joy that accompanied the moment.

Harry raised his wand once more and pointed it directly at the dragon, which was circling around for another attack. With a grunt, Harry brought forth the full might of his magic; a sourceless wind picked up, and his black-and-green aura burst into being around him. With his now-glowing green eyes fixed on the approaching monster, Harry roared out his last resort.

"_EXPECTO PATRONUM!_"

An enormous silver stag, rivaling the Grimm in size, burst from his wand and caught the dragon in the chest, antlers sinking deep into the Grimm's flesh. The beast roared in agony and thrashed about in a vain attempt to dislodge itself.

Harry's eyes widened, before he grinned savagely. Finally, he'd found a weakness.

The stag tossed its head, sending the dragon tumbling. It managed to catch itself in midair, but now its flight was noticeably more labored. With another rage-filled roar, it dove not at Harry, but at Amber, who was still hiding behind the broken table and had nowhere to run. Amber shrieked in terror and tried to shield herself with her arms.

Prongs caught the Grimm broadside, sending it careening into the wall, where it lay dazed. Harry quickly ran over to the terrified Amber and scooped her up, ignoring the pain in his ribs and shoulder. She clung to Harry tightly, trembling in fright; Harry wrapped his good arm around the traumatized girl. Prongs looked at him, and he nodded in return. The stag backed up and, with a faint, echoing bugle, charged the downed Grimm.

The ethereal antlers sank deep into the dragon's chest; the beast roared one final time, then fell limp, dissolving into strands of darkness. Its foe vanquished, Prongs trotted over to Harry and Amber, the latter of whom was staring at the stag with wide eyes. She reached out to touch the Patronus, which nuzzled her hand before dissolving into silver light.

"Whoa…" she whispered, and Harry couldn't help but smile.

"You okay?" he asked. Amber nodded before she laid her head on his shoulder. Harry smiled at the sight and walked out through the hole in the wall to the top of the stairs.

With the Grimm dead, Amber's mindscape was slowly returning to normal. The formerly crimson sky now bled away to blue, and the oppressive black clouds were dispersing.

"Mister Harry?"

Harry looked down at the girl, who was looking up at him curiously. Already the bruises and cuts that littered her body were disappearing, and healthy, unblemished skin was taking their place. "How'd you do all that?" she asked.

Harry smiled and gave a cheeky wink. "Magic," he said, wiggling the fingers on his only free hand in exaggeration. Amber went starry-eyed.

"You can do magic?!" she exclaimed. "I can too!" She brought her hands together and concentrated, an adorable frown on her face. After a moment, the outline of a broken masquerade mask appeared on her face, and a faint orange light popped into existence in her cupped hands.

After a few seconds, the light and mask disappeared, and Amber slumped in exhaustion, laying her head against Harry's shoulder once more. "Tired…" she drawled sleepily, before promptly conking out against him.

Harry smiled and made his way down a nearby hallway. The first door he tried led to a dorm room, so he went inside. He gently laid Amber down in one of the beds and tucked her in, before raising his wand again.

"_Expecto Patronum._"

Prongs once more burst from his wand, this time the size of a normal stag, and stood silently in front of him, awaiting orders.

"Protect her," said Harry, gesturing to the sleeping girl, who had begun cuddling one of her pillows and was sucking her thumb. Already she was showing signs of improvement; she now looked to be in her early teens as opposed to a young child.

Prongs nodded and silently walked to the edge of the bed before laying down, acting as a sentinel. Harry nodded his thanks and closed his eyes, allowing himself to fade out of Amber's mindscape and back to his real body.

**[Break]**

Qrow and Ozpin started violently when Harry suddenly gasped and fell backwards, cradling his left arm. The Headmaster reached out to steady the teen wizard while he recovered. "Well?" he asked.

Harry took a few moments to gather himself before answering. "Well, I managed to find the source of her coma," he explained, conjuring a glass of water and draining it. "Her mindscape was almost completely destroyed. Whoever her attacker is left a Grimm Dragon in there; that's what's been keeping her in a coma. I fought it and managed to destroy it." He grimaced as his ribs throbbed. "Her mindscape was healing itself when I pulled out. She should wake up within a day or so."

Ozpin's shoulders sagged in relief. Qrow gave a half-sob, half-laugh and drained his flask in one gulp.

"I'm indebted to you, Mr. Potter," said Ozpin sincerely. The man was clearly making an effort to keep his voice from cracking. "Thank you so much."

Harry waved off the man's thanks. "No problem. Let me just get the potions she'll need after she wakes up."

"You also need to have those ribs looked at," said Qrow. "How'd you even break 'em, anyway?"

"I'll explain the details later if you want," said Harry, as his tiredness compounded by his injuries sapped his strength. "For now, I just want to sleep."

Qrow grabbed the teen's good shoulder before he could topple over. "Whoa there, kid. Let's get you and Amber to the infirmary before you conk out, okay?" When he received a grunt of acknowledgement from Harry, he looked up at Ozpin. "Oz, can you –?"

"On it," replied the Headmaster as he carefully gathered Amber's slumbering form and the potions in his arms, before heading to the elevator, followed by Qrow supporting a groggy Harry.

**[Break]**

'I get the feeling this will become a trend,' thought Harry as he sat shirtless on the surprisingly comfortable infirmary bed. The nurse, a pink-haired, tan-skinned woman named Peach, was wrapping bandages around his torso. According to her assessment, he'd broken two ribs and fractured three more, as well as broke his collarbone thanks to that tail-slam from the Grimm Dragon. He winced as Peach tightened the bandages, making his chest throb in pain.

"Aaand done," said the pink haired nurse, before moving to put Harry's injured arm in a special brace. "Just take it easy and your Aura will do the rest." She stood up and turned to Ozpin, who had pulled up a pair of chairs for himself and Qrow. "Are you sure you don't want me to check her over?" she asked, jerking a thumb over at Amber, who had been placed in the bed next to Harry's.

"That won't be necessary," said Ozpin. "Thank you, Thumbelina."

The pink-haired nurse just shrugged and walked out of the infirmary.

Once the door had closed behind Peach, Ozpin leaned forward in his chair. "Now then, explain everything that happened. Leave nothing out."

So Harry explained everything, from the ruined state of Amber's mindscape to the Grimm Dragon, to her mindscape healing itself. Ozpin remained silent throughout the tale, occasionally taking a sip of his ever-present hot chocolate.

When Harry finished his explanation, Qrow spoke up. "Okay, so you found what kept her unconscious and kicked its ass. Is she cured? Do we have to worry about this happening again?"

"She shouldn't randomly faint," said Harry, "but she's far from healed. Whoever attacked her nearly tore her mind to pieces. It's a miracle in itself she isn't vegetative." He sighed heavily. "That being said, she should be alright with time and therapy."

"What about that thing you left in its place?" asked Qrow. "What'd you call it? A Patronus?"

"A Patronus is like a guardian," explained Harry. "It personifies positive emotions and feelings, like happiness, which is essentially the opposite of the Grimm." He shrugged his good shoulder sheepishly. "I actually didn't know it would be so effective. I'll have to do some more research on it, but I think I might have a new way to fight Grimm."

"And her attacker?" asked Ozpin. "Do you know who it was?"

"Yes and no," said Harry. "There was magic involved, that much is certain. Aura wasn't responsible for that Grimm Dragon being there." He frowned darkly. "Something like that takes exceptional skill and seriously Dark magic." His frown shifted into a smirk. "Fortunately for us, magic leaves traces that last a long time. Once Amber's well enough, I'll go back and see if I can't get a feel for the magic used in her attack. From there, I can memorize its signature, then cast some wards around Vale that are keyed to that signature; if her attacker shows up, I'll be able to locate and identify them."

Both Ozpin and Qrow blinked owlishly. "That's…more than I expected," Ozpin said after a moment of stunned silence.

"That's magic," said Harry, smiling. He leaned back against the pillow. "Ugh. I'm exhausted." 

Qrow smirked. "Don't pass out on us yet, kid. We still have to get home." He moved off toward the door. "Bullhead leaves in half an hour."

Harry grumbled under his breath but heaved himself carefully out of the bed.

**[Break]**

Ruby and Yang were not impressed when they saw Harry's sorry state.

"What did you _do?!_" shrieked Ruby, rocketing across the room to inspect Harry's visible injury. "You were only gone for a few hours!"

Harry smiled sheepishly, trying his best to ignore Yang, who was giving him a crimson-eyed glare. "I…don't suppose you'll believe me if I said I fell down some stairs?"

"Not likely," said Yang, her voice ominously calm, despite the small flames now flickering around her. Harry felt a drop of sweat slide down his face. Finally, Qrow came to his rescue.

"I took him to Forever Fall to see how he stacked up against a Boarbatusk," said the drunk Huntsman, having no trouble lying through his teeth. "He was doing pretty good till we got ambushed by an Ursa." He indicated Harry's sling. "Thing smacked him right into a tree. He broke a couple ribs and his collarbone, so try to take it easy."

Taiyang, who had come rushing into the living room after hearing Ruby's scream, looked at Qrow in confusion, but caught the other man's 'I'll tell you later' look and kept his mouth shut.

"Alright!" exclaimed Ruby, clapping her hands for emphasis. "I know what'll help!"

Yang gave her sister a sideways glance. "If you say cookies, I swear to God…"

"I was actually thinking of brownies, but I like your idea better! Let's go!" And with that, she raced to the kitchen, a flurry of rose petals left in her wake. Yang pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed in irritation, before following her sister, taking hold of Harry's good arm and dragging him off with her.

Taiyang waited until the teens had left the room before rounding on Qrow. "So how did he _really_ get so beat up?"

Qrow sighed and pulled out his flask as he sat in his favorite recliner. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me," challenged Taiyang.

**[Break]**

Ten minutes later, Taiyang sat back and let out a breath. "Damn," he said.

Qrow nodded and took a gulp from his flask. He peered into it to see how much whiskey was left. "Yeah, that basically sums it up," he replied.

Taiyang glanced at the door to the kitchen; Ruby, Yang, and Harry were all sitting around the kitchen table, an absolutely monstrous plate of cookies and a full gallon jug of milk between them, laughing uproariously at a joke Yang had made.

"How much do you think he's hiding?" he asked.

Qrow followed the other man's gaze; Ruby was now seeing how many cookies she could fit in her mouth at a time, egged on by Yang. Harry was just sitting there looking amused.

"A lot," he said. "You seen his eyes?"

"What do you mean?"

Qrow gestured with his flask. "Kid looks like he's been through hell and back, and is halfway there again," he said. "He's a kid with the eyes of a veteran."

Taiyang raised an eyebrow. "But he acts like any normal teenager," he pointed out. "Ruby and Yang both like him."

"Maybe a bit more than "like" in Yang's case," teased Qrow, smirking at the other man's frown. "I'm just saying, there's more to this kid than meets the eye."

"So what're you gonna do?" asked Taiyamg. "If he's a threat–"

"Oh, quit the overprotective bullshit," interrupted Qrow. "If he was a threat to us, he'd have done something by now. Do you really think he would've helped Amber if he meant to hurt any of us?"

Taiyang looked conflicted. "I don't know…"

Qrow leaned forward and looked the blond man in the eye. "Trust me, Tai. I know what I'm doing."

Qrow could see the internal battle the other man was having. Finally, he sighed, and Qrow knew he'd won.

"Fine. I'll trust you. But if he slips up…" Taiyang let the threat hang. Qrow nodded in reply and laid back.

"Excellent. I'm gonna take a nap, wake me up when dinner's ready," he said, throwing an arm over his eyes. Within seconds, he was sound asleep.

Taiyang rolled his eyes. "Freeloader," he mumbled, before heading into the kitchen.

**That's it for this chapter! Leave a review if you like it!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Amber groaned as consciousness slowly returned to her. Her head throbbed, and her entire body felt like it had been run over by a pack of Goliath. She tried to raise her hand, but all she got was the slight twitch of her finger. Slowly, she mustered up the strength to open her eyes. Immediately, light assaulted her vision, and she clamped them shut with a grunt of pain, spots dancing behind her eyelids.

She heard a door open, followed by a startled gasp and the sound of someone running out of the room. Minutes later, the door opened again, and this time she could make out two distinct sets of footsteps.

"How are you feeling, Amber?" That voice…it was familiar…

"O-Ozpin?" she croaked, her voice scratchy and dry from disuse. "Where…?"

Ozpin shushed her, and she felt the rim of a bottle being pressed to her lips. "Here, drink some of this," said Ozpin. "It will help."

"O-Okay." The bottle was tipped back until a liquid that most definitely was not water hit her tongue. She almost gagged, but she managed to force the substance down. Almost immediately, she felt strength gradually returning to her limbs. Grimacing, she tried opening her eyes again, more slowly this time.

This time, the light was bearable, and her surroundings slowly came into focus. She was in the medical wing of Beacon, laying in one of the surprisingly comfortable infirmary beds. Ozpin sat in a chair next to her, holding a half-empty bottle of pink liquid. Beside him stood Glynda, a look of shock replacing her normally stoic features.

"You gave us quite the scare," he said softly. The undertones of relief were not lost on her.

"What happened?" she whispered. "I remember…" She gasped. "I was attacked. They…stole my powers."

Ozpin leaned forward. "What else?"

Amber frowned in thought. "There was…a monster. A dragon. Someone…someone killed it." She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to ignore the feeling of someone drilling a hole in her skull. "I think his name was…Harry."

Ozpin nodded. "Good to see that you remember," he said. "I'll get in contact with him and tell him you woke up. He's interested in meeting you." He stood and laid his hand on her shoulder. "Try to get some rest. I'll let you know when he gets here."

Amber gave a minuscule nod and closed her eyes. Ozpin watched her for a moment before walking out of the infirmary, pulling out his Scroll as he went.

Harry picked up on the second ring. _"Yeah?"_

"Amber's awake," said Ozpin without preamble. "She's interested in meeting you. Is now a good time?"

_"Sure, I'll be over in a few seconds. I just need to grab a few things."_

"Excellent. I'll see you momentarily." With that, Ozpin ended the call and leaned against the wall to wait.

True to his words, the black-haired wizard suddenly appeared with a loud _crack_ thirty seconds later. It took a considerable amount of Ozpin's self-control not to jump in surprise.

"Hey," said Harry, raising his arm in greeting; Ozpin noticed he was no longer wearing the sling, and _Mors Umbra_ was situated at the small of his back. "How is she?" he asked, falling into step beside Ozpin as they walked back to the infirmary.

"Awake and coherent," replied Ozpin. "I questioned her. She remembers you by name, and your involvement with her recovery."

Harry nodded, satisfied. "That's better than I expected," he admitted. "With the amount of damage I saw, I was certain there would be some memory loss."

Ozpin didn't say anything for a moment, then asked, "Do you think she remembers who attacked her?"

Harry frowned. "It's possible. If she does, that makes my job easier. If not, it's not really a huge loss, since there will still be traces of her attacker's magic."

Ozpin hummed in response as they entered the infirmary and made their way over to Amber's bed. The Fall Maiden stirred and opened her eyes as they approached.

"Amber," said Ozpin, taking a seat next to her bed. "Feeling any better?"

Amber gave a small nod and a smile. "A little. My head's not hurting as much now," she replied. Her gaze then slid over to Harry, and her eyes widened. "Is that…?"

"Indeed," said Ozpin, waving a hand at the wizard, who had pulled up a chair on Amber's other side. "Amber, meet Harry Potter. He's the one who saved you."

Harry smiled and waved. "Hello," he said. "Nice to meet you while you're conscious."

Amber stared at the black-haired wizard. "I remember you," she said softly. "You killed that Grimm." Slowly, a smile spread over her face. "I don't think I ever thanked you for that while we were…in my head."

Harry waved his hand dismissively. "No thanks necessary. I'm happy to help out," he said, before leaning forward in his chair. "That does bring me to the point, though. I'll need to poke around in your noggin some more to make sure everything's healing the way it should. Are you having trouble remembering anything?"

Amber frowned slightly and shook her head slowly. "No, I can remember everything clearly," she replied.

Harry nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Excellent. In that case, I can perform the procedure now, if that's alright with you."

Amber smiled. "Of course. What do you need me to do?"

"Just look at my eyes," replied Harry. When Amber's chocolate orbs met his own green, he whispered _"Legilimens" _and dove once more into Amber's mind.

He landed in the familiar courtyard and looked around; there was still some damage, but Amber's mindscape had healed quite a bit since he killed the Grimm Dragon. The craters in the ground had disappeared, the grass was slowly becoming greener, and the statue of the Huntsmen and Grimm had been repaired.

Beacon itself was in a similar state; there were still a few broken windows, and the staircase was still damaged, but the cracks and holes in the floors were gone. Harry gave a satisfied hum as he walked up the staircase. Only time would tell, but he was becoming more and more confident that Amber would make a full recovery.

Satisfied with how her mindscape was healing, he set off in search of her memories. With any luck, he'd be able to uncover something related to her attackers. He wandered down the hallways, occasionally peeking into a room, but found nothing.

After what felt like half an hour of searching, he finally struck pay dirt. In one of the rooms on the second floor–which turned out to be a lecture hall–he found an old-fashioned movie projector and screen pushed against one of the walls. On the ground next to it sat an alarmingly large pile of movie reels.

Harry picked up the topmost reel and inspected it; the label was faded and illegible. With a wave of his wand, the reel attached itself to the projector, which shuddered to life, bathing the screen with light. A young Amber suddenly appeared on the screen, laughing as she chased after a butterfly. In the background behind her stood a tall man with dark skin and black hair, and a shorter woman with brown hair, the same color as Amber's.

Harry realized belatedly that those people must have been Amber's parents, and he quickly removed the reel with another wave of his wand. He was there to find Amber's attackers, not get caught up in watching all of her memories. A flick of his wand brought the next reel to the projector.

This continued for the next hour until, on the fourth-to-last reel, he found what he was looking for. The reel was severely worn and damaged, a sign of the trauma associated with the memories within. Regardless, Harry attached it to the projector, hoping for the best.

A few seconds later, he swore loudly: the memory was too blurry to make anything out, evidence of Amber's mind attempting to repress the traumatic experience. He wouldn't be able to access it without damaging Amber's still-healing mind until she was well enough to handle reliving the trauma, and who knew when that would be. Until then, the memory was useless.

With a sigh, Harry pulled the reel from the projector and tossed it back in the pile, then closed his eyes and faded from Amber's mindscape.

Amber blinked rapidly as Harry sat up and stretched his stiff back. "That was weird," she said bluntly. It was a rather unusual feeling, someone taking a stroll through one's head. It wasn't painful, but she decided she'd rather not relive the experience.

"Did you find anything?" asked Ozpin.

Harry shook his head sadly. "I found the memory, but she's been unconsciously repressing it," he explained. "I can't do anything more without causing permanent damage to her mind." He sighed. "Not the ideal outcome, but you know the saying: 'hope for the best, prepare for the worst.'"

Ozpin cursed under his breath and took a long sip of his hot chocolate. "So what now?"

"Good news is, I can still set up a ward around Beacon itself" said Harry. "Downside is, it will be more of a safety net instead of the bear trap we were hoping for. Warding magic is extremely precise. You have to specify exactly what you want kept out, what's allowed in, et cetera, or the whole thing just collapses–or worse, backfires. Since we have no idea what her attackers look like, all I can do is cast an intent-based ward coupled with a tracking charm around the school. That way we'll know if her attackers show up–or anything else that threatens the school, for that matter."

Ozpin nodded in acceptance. "I'll take what I can get. How soon can you set it up?" he asked.

Harry hummed in thought. "Well, I'll have to make a stop at a jeweler to pick up the materials, so…two hours, tops."

"Materials?" asked Glynda, speaking up for the first time. Harry almost jumped–he'd forgotten the Huntress was there.

"Wards are tied to what my people call 'ward-stones'," he explained. "They form an anchor for the magic and keep it grounded. They just need recharging every now and then; exactly how often depends on the wards. I can use ordinary rocks for the ward-stones, but the magic won't be as strong. Crystals are slightly better, but precious gemstones are by far the strongest."

"Fascinating," said Ozpin, sounding impressed. "I would love to hear more, but I would also like those wards to go up as soon as possible." He pulled out his wallet and tossed Harry what appeared to be a black-and-green credit card. "Use that to pay for anything you need, just be sure to bring it back."

Harry nodded and slipped the card into his wallet. "Got it. Be back in a bit." With a cheery wave, he Disapparated with a _crack._

Amber and Glynda stared at the place the black-haired wizard had just occupied in utter shock. "What the…?!" cried Amber.

Ozpin chuckled and took a sip of his hot chocolate. "Oh yes, he does that. You'll get used to it."

Glynda somehow doubted that very much.

**[Break]**

The jeweler Harry had found looked skeptical when Harry asked for the largest gemstones he had, but a quick flash of Ozpin's credit card had him changing his tune. The elderly man had disappeared into the back of the shop with lightning speed, and returned with a tray of various diamonds, emeralds, and other gems.

Harry looked over each stone with a critical eye. While precious gems were ideal ward-stones, each one had properties that would affect the overall strength and properties of the wards in question.

He'd uncovered a book in Dumbledore's library that went in depth on this topic: for wards linked to damaging spells, such as a Bone-Breaker Curse, then a ruby would be ideal, whereas a sapphire was a more neutral stone best suited for channeling healing magic (Saint Mungo's hospital had a fifteen-hundred-carat sapphire as a ward-stone, for example). Emeralds were better suited for defensive spells such as _Protego Horribilis _and _Salvio Hexia_.

Diamonds, however, were the most sought-after gems by all accounts. Not only were they capable of holding and channeling a staggering amount of magic, but they had the ability to drastically increase the power of any spell that made contact with it. For example, a Fidelius Charm cast using a five-carat diamond as a ward-stone could cover everything in a twenty-kilometer radius. On the other hand, if someone hit that same diamond with a Blasting Curse, the result would be comparable to a nuclear explosion.

After a few moments, Harry decided to pick out three stones: a two-carat diamond, a one-point-five carat emerald, and a one-point-five carat sapphire.

The diamond would form the central ward-stone, holding everything together and amplifying the effects. The emerald would be the basis for a Lockdown Ward, a variation of an ancient spell the Egyptians put on their pyramids, which would seal themselves up when a tomb robber (or anyone else with ill intent) stepped over the threshold, leaving the would-be plunderer to die of thirst.

The sapphire would have two spells linked to it: a tracking charm, for obvious reasons, and a healing ward Harry had discovered in an ancient tome a few decades back called Field of Elysium, which accelerated a person's healing rate by a good amount, as well as regenerated damaged organs. Unfortunately, it couldn't regrow lost limbs or heal mental damage.

Harry paid for the gems and stepped outside, making his way to a deserted alley before Apparating back to Beacon.

He reappeared in the Vault, in front of the machine that formerly housed Amber's comatose body. With a wave of his wand, the machine was transfigured into a stone slab, with three indentations in the top. He set the diamond in the center, flanked by the emerald and sapphire, and raised his wand.

Contrary to other spells, which were two words long at most, Warding incantations could be up to several paragraphs long, and one mispronunciation could lead to a devastating backfire; this was the reason why many considered Warding to be one of the most dangerous branches of magic, right up there with Alchemy. Harry had to be extremely careful not to mess anything up, or the results could be catastrophic.

He took a deep breath, and began his incantations.

_"Cum hoc magia ego tueri omnes intra haec moenia, quod malum non potest intrare. Cum hoc magia ego sanabo, quod innocens erit non pati. Cum hoc magia ego praecipio quod malum erit non evadere conspectu meo. Per hoc magia, mea fiet."_

His magic and Aura burst to life around him, casting a flickering light on the walls of the Vault. The three gemstones slowly rose from their resting places, glowing with power as they absorbed the magical energy. After a moment, the sapphire and emerald gently floated back down, hovering slightly over their respective places.

Harry continued pushing his magic into the diamond, even though his body was starting to protest. He wanted to ensure that the spells were properly bound to their respective gems, or else he risked a backfire. Finally, after what felt like hours, he released his magic.

The gems glowed with a pulsating light, similar to a heartbeat. Harry nodded to himself–the wards had held and were currently being fed by the magical energy in the jewels. With any luck, they wouldn't need recharging for several months.

Satisfied with his work, he Apparated to the infirmary to inform Ozpin of his success and return his credit card. Then, he was going to explore Vale a bit more.

**[Break]**

After losing sight of the black-haired teen on the way to Beacon a few days earlier, Blake had honestly thought she wouldn't see him again until the combat exams, which were still two and a half months away.

She sat down at the bar of her favorite noodle restaurant and nodded to the chef; she'd been coming here so often since she came to Vale, he knew her order by heart. Within minutes, a steaming bowl of noodles was placed in front of her, with several decent-sized fish laid over the top. She couldn't help the slight bit of drool that dripped from the corner of her mouth as she thanked the cook and picked up her chopsticks.

The first bite was halfway to her mouth when a loud _crack_ emanated from the alleyway adjacent to the restaurant, nearly scaring her out of her skin. Curious–and slightly annoyed at whatever interrupted her lunch–she leaned back to get a better look.

The black-haired boy from the other day strolled casually out of the alleyway and paused, looking down at his Scroll for a moment before heading down the sidewalk, toward the downtown district. Blake sat in confusion for a few moments, before something clicked in her head. She quickly turned to the cook.

"Can I get this to go?"

**[Break]**

Now that Harry had the opportunity to actually enjoy what Vale had to offer, he intended to take full advantage of it. He was particularly interested in the bookstore that Glynda had mentioned a few days prior. Granted, he was no Hermione when it came to books, but he could benefit from a few regarding Remnant and the Grimm.

A sudden commotion made him pause; ahead of him, a crowd had gathered and was chattering excitedly. Curious, he strolled over to have a look.

Once he'd pushed through the mass of bodies, he found a familiar face: the rabbit Faunus he'd met the other day–Velvet, if he remembered correctly–surrounded by three men of varying levels of intoxication. They were jeering drunkenly at her as she backed against the front of a business, looking frantically for a way out.

One of the men laughed, staggering toward her. "Where d'ya think yer–_hic_–goin', freak?" he taunted, hand outstretched to grab one of Velvet's ears. The crowd had a mixed reaction: half of the people booed and hissed at the drunken men, while the other half were cheering them on.

Harry's blood boiled; he'd tried extremely hard over the last two hundred years, but someone calling someone else a freak was still a sure-fire way to ignite his temper. He stalked over to the trio of drunks.

"Excuse me," he said with faux politeness laced with venom. "But you three need to leave her alone."

The lead drunk turned, nearly falling over while doing so. "Sez who?" he slurred, trying and failing to look intimidating while barely able to stand. His buddies lined up behind him and glared at Harry with bloodshot eyes.

"Says me," replied Harry without a care in the world as he slipped his hands into his pockets. He'd faced off against a basilisk, a dragon, a horde of dementors, and the evilest Dark Lord in modern history; a gang of drunks wasn't even close to being on the list.

The intoxicated men laughed uproariously. "An' what're you gonna do 'bout it?" the leader slurred, stumbling forward to take a swing at the young wizard. Harry easily sidestepped and stuck his leg out, tripping the thug, who fell flat on his face on the sidewalk. The crowd let out a collective "Ooh," with some laughing at the drunk's misfortune.

"Whoops," drawled Harry, channelling Qrow as he casually inspected his fingernails. "My bad."

The drunk growled as he staggered to his feet, nursing a bloody nose. "Get this guy!" he roared to his friends, who quickly shook themselves out of their shock at seeing their leader go down. The three thugs surrounded Harry, who slid into a ready stance.

Suddenly, a black blur leapt over the crowd and smashed into the back of one of the drunks, sending him to the ground in a heap; it was a black-haired, yellow-eyed girl of around Harry's visible age. With a quick punch to the back of the head, she knocked the thug out cold. The other two drunks just stared in astonishment, shocked that one of their own was taken down so easily.

Harry took advantage of the girl's distraction to deliver a devastating, Aura-fueled haymaker to the leader's jaw; the man crumpled like a puppet with its strings cut. Stepping over the thug's unconscious body, both Harry and the girl advanced on the third drunk, who backpedalled so quickly he tripped over his own feet and fell to the ground. He frantically scrambled backwards, away from the advancing teens, but the cheering crowd was blocking his exit. He let out a pathetic squeal as Harry lifted him up by the front of his shirt.

"I don't want to see you or your friends around here again," he snarled, eyes blazing with barely-repressed power. "Clear?"

The thug nodded rapidly, bloodshot eyes wide with fear. Harry released him, and he scrambled to his feet, the crowd parting as he fled, leaving his friends behind.

"Coward," Harry muttered, before turning to his newfound ally. "Thanks for the help. I'm Harry."

"…Blake," replied the black-haired girl. "I wasn't planning on getting involved, but three-against-one aren't exactly great odds." She scowled down at the unconscious drunks. "People like them make me sick."

Harry grunted in acknowledgement and turned to Velvet, who was still standing against the wall with a hand pressed over her chest, taking deep breaths. "You okay?" he asked.

The rabbit Faunus gave a shaky nod. "Y-Yeah," she said. "Just a little…overwhelmed."

Harry scowled in the direction the thug had taken off in. "Does that happen often?"

"No, not usually. Most of the time I get dirty looks or the occasional derogatory comment. This is the first time someone's actually done anything."

Blake's eyes narrowed in anger. "Still, that's not okay," she said vehemently.

Velvet nodded sadly. "I know, but try telling that to them," she replied, waving a hand at the drunks. "They're looking for someone to blame their problems on, and with what's going on with the White Fang, the Faunus as a race have become a convenient scapegoat."

"What's the White Fang?" asked Harry. He vaguely remembered hearing the name somewhere before.

Both girls looked at him in surprise. "You've never heard of the White Fang?" asked Blake. "What rock have you been living under?"

"I'm…not from around here," Harry deflected. "So what is it?"

"Less _what_, more _who_," replied Velvet. "They're a Faunus activist group, pushing for equal rights and fair treatment of other Faunus. They used to be peaceful, but…" She sighed. "Lately, they've been growing more and more violent. What started out as peaceful protests turned into raids on Dust mines, attacks on businesses that won't serve Faunus, even rumors of assassinations."

Harry frowned. "Sounds more like terrorism than activism," he remarked. Off to the side, Blake stiffened, a brief look of anger crossing her face before she schooled her features. He made a mental note of the odd behavior.

Velvet shook her head. "You're not the only one who thinks that," she said. There was an awkward pause, then the rabbit Faunus brightened, clapping her hands. "Alright, enough with the depressing stuff. Let's talk about something else! Like, what brings you to Vale today?"

Harry chose to let the bad attempt at a subject change slide. "Oh, just walking around. I was actually looking for a particular bookstore, owned by a panther Faunus. Ring any bells?"

"Yeah, that sounds like Tukson's place," said Velvet. "Mind if I tag along? I'm not doing anything today."

"Sure," replied Harry, before turning to Blake. "What about you?"

Blake paused, seemingly unsure, but eventually agreed. "Fine. I need to pick up a book from him anyway."

"What book?" asked Velvet curiously.

Blake's eyes widened slightly as her cheeks reddened. "Er…that…that's not important," she stammered. "Come on, he's not too far from here." With that, she quickly turned and walked off.

Harry and Velvet shared a confused look before jogging after their new acquaintance.

**[Break]**

Blake wasn't sure what to make of Harry.

She'd grown up hearing all sorts of anti-human propaganda from the White Fang, and even though she knew at least some of it to be untrue, it was still a bit of a shock to see a human jump to the defense of a Faunus, especially when said human was outnumbered.

She'd be lying if she said she didn't feel some satisfaction from knocking those drunks around, but she preferred to avoid violence if it could be avoided, unlike her brothers and sisters in the White Fang. What started out as a peaceful civil rights movement had spiraled and devolved into one of the most violent terrorist groups in history.

Oh, yes, she thought, Velvet was right on the money with the assassination rumors. Some no-name business owner had refused to allow any Faunus within a hundred feet of his front door, and two days later he was blown to kingdom come when he started his car and detonated the bomb in the ignition.

She glanced at her fellow black-haired teen as they browsed Tukson's shelves, occasionally asking where he could find certain books. The panther Faunus, like herself, was a former White Fang agent, and had naturally been wary of the only human in the group, but a subtle nod from Blake, followed by Velvet recounting the events of a few minutes prior, had been enough for the man to give Harry the benefit of the doubt.

Blake was violently jarred from her thoughts when Velvet leaned over her shoulder to see what book she had picked up. "_Ninjas of Love_?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at the cover, which showed two silhouettes, one male and one female, entwined in a rather intimate embrace.

Blake blushed heavily. "Uhh…"

Velvet giggled and winked at her. "Don't worry, I won't tell," she promised. "Besides…" She leaned closer to whisper in Blake's ear. "…the sequel's supposed to be _way_ better."

Blake stared at the rabbit Faunus in bewilderment. "Wha…?"

Velvet giggled again. "Trust me, you're not the only one who reads stuff like that," she whispered conspiratorially. "You're planning on going to Beacon, right? If you make it in, look me up. I'll let you browse my collection."

Blake blinked in shock and confusion. "Um…okay…?"

"Perfect!" Velvet chirped happily. Her gaze landed on a book just over Blake's shoulder and she gasped excitedly. "Oh my God, he has the new _Sais of Passion_! I've been trying to find a copy for _weeks_!" She quickly grabbed the book in question and raced to the front counter, giggling like an excited schoolgirl.

Blake stared after her in confusion, while her brain tried to comprehend what had just happened.

**[Break]**

They left Tukson's with their wallets considerably lighter. Harry had ended up getting _The Illustrated Guide To Grimm_, _A Complete History of Remnant and Its Kingdoms_, and _How to Effectively Use Dust and Not Blow Yourself Up_, all of which were tucked under his arm.

Velvet had bought her new _Sais of Passion_ book, along with two other novels along the same lines: _My Sweet Samurai _and _Sensual Shinobi_. Harry didn't dare ask about the contents–Velvet's blushing and giggling was a good indicator.

Blake had walked out with only two books: _The Man with Two Souls_ and, when she thought no one was looking, _Ninjas of Love, _the latter of which was immediately hidden in her bag. She was still fighting back the shock of Velvet's offer to peruse her collection.

Harry glanced at his Scroll to check the time. It was almost noon, and Ruby and Yang would be getting out of school soon. He wanted to get some more training in with Qrow, as the incident with Amber had eaten up a few days.

"Well, ladies, it's been fun, but sadly I must leave you," he said, slipping the Scroll back into his pocket. "I have to get back to my training."

Velvet's eyes widened in realization. "Oh yeah, you're taking the combat exam!" she exclaimed. "Well, it was good to see you again!"

"Likewise. We'll have to do this again sometime," replied Harry. "It was nice to meet you as well, Blake. Thanks again for helping with those idiots back there."

Blake smirked. "No problem."

Harry bid the girls farewell and walked away, waiting until he was around the corner before ducking into an alleyway and Apparating back to Patch.

**[Break]**

Qrow was lounging in his favorite armchair when Harry appeared with a loud _crack_; the man swore loudly and nearly toppled onto the floor, but managed to barely catch himself. He gave the black-haired wizard a withering glare.

"I really wish you'd stop doing that," he groused, getting up to retrieve his flask, which had been flung across the room. "Give me a heart attack, why don't you?"

"Oh, man up," retorted Harry. "Expect the unexpected and all that."

"Fuck you. Just for that, I'm makin' today's training _extra _brutal, you little brat."

Harry grinned as he made his way to his bedroom. "Bring it on, old man!" he taunted as he changed into his workout gear.

"Oh-ho-ho, _now_ you're askin' for it!" shouted Qrow. "Outside in one minute or you'll run laps until _I_ throw up!"

Harry laughed to himself as he picked up _Mors Umbra_ and made his way outside to where Qrow was waiting. Next to him, _Harbinger_ was planted in the ground in sword form.

"Took you long enough," grumbled Qrow, yanking _Harbinger_ out of the ground with a sharp tug. "Let's get started."

Harry grinned in response and unfolded his scythe. There was a slight pause, then both fighters leapt at each other, weapons clashing and sparks flying. They pushed against each other for a moment before Qrow's superior strength won out, and he forced Harry on the defensive. Harry blocked as well as he could, but quite a few strikes hit their mark. Growing irritated, Harry leapt back and flexed his wrist; his wand snapped into his hand, and with a slight flick, cast a _Levicorpus_ at the elder Huntsman.

Unfortunately, Qrow wasn't your average Huntsman. He'd picked up on the subtle twitch of Harry's wand and leapt to the side to dodge the spell, before channeling his Aura to his legs and shooting forward.

Harry wasn't prepared for the sudden charge, and as such Qrow managed to get inside his guard. The older Huntsman grinned wickedly and plucked Harry's wand from his hand. "Yoink!"

Harry growled and made a grab for his wand, but Qrow leapt back out of range and slipped Harry's wand into his pocket. "Not so tough without your magic stick, are ya?" he taunted.

He faltered when Harry raised his hand and cried, _"Accio Wand!"_ Much to Qrow's surprise, Harry's wand flew from his pocket and back to Harry's outstretched hand.

Qrow gaped for a moment, then planted _Harbinger_ in the ground and held up his hands in a 'T' shape. "Okay, time out. I thought you needed that stick to do your hocus-pocus whatsit," he said.

Harry rested the butt of his scythe on the ground and leaned on it, idly twirling his wand in his other hand. "Not necessarily. A wand is a focus for the magical energy, making it easier to harness and control. I can do wandless magic, but it's very draining if I use it for an extended period, or if I use high-level spells." To emphasize his point, he cast _Wingardium Leviosa_ on his wand and made it float above his palm.

Qrow nodded in understanding. "I see. In that case, I'm adding to your training," he said as a malicious smile slowly crept onto his face. "You can do your little mumbo-jumbo stuff while we train, but only if you lose the stick. It's only gonna be a liability in a fight."

Harry glanced down at the holly wand that had served him so faithfully for the past two hundred and seven years. He understood where Qrow was coming from, but telling him to not use the wand was like losing a friend. After a moment, he sighed.

"Fine," he said resignedly, and walked inside to place the wand on the kitchen table before rejoining Qrow in the backyard.

"Trust me, you'll thank me for this," said Qrow as he transformed _Harbinger _into its scythe form.

Harry scowled and readied _Mors Umbra_. "Somehow, I doubt that."

Qrow grinned in response, and the two leapt forward to clash once more.

**And that's it for this chapter! Apologies for the delay, I started a new job that has me working night shifts, 6 pm to 6 am, so there hasn't been a lot of energy to write with.**

**Latin translation: "With this magic I protect all within these halls, that evil cannot enter. With this magic I heal, that the innocent will not suffer. With this magic, I command that evil will not escape my sight. By this magic, my will be done."**

**Last A/N: I'm putting a poll on my profile: should Harry have a semblance, or just keep his magic? Vote for what you want!**


	7. IMPORTANT NOTICE

Hey guys.

This story is officially going back to the drawing board.

If I'm being honest, I was pretty much winging it for this story. There are just too many inconsistencies (thanks to all those who pointed them out) for me to feel good about how this story is progressing.

So, as of now, this particular story is up for adoption if you guys want it. You have my permission.

As for what you can expect...that's a secret! I can promise that it will be much better than what's been shown.

Thanks again for all the views, favorites, and reviews!

-Beacon Alum


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